


After the Order

by Sunflower_Bundle331



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, BAMF Ahsoka Tano, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, Corellia (Star Wars), F/M, Friends to Lovers, Geonosis (Star Wars), Planet Abafar (Star Wars), Planet Gorse (Star Wars), Planet Jedha (Star Wars), Rexsoka Week, Seelos (Star Wars), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 101,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26235478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunflower_Bundle331/pseuds/Sunflower_Bundle331
Summary: Ahsoka and Rex have survived the unimaginable ordeal of Order 66. Their lives will never be the same. The Order had changed everything...including their feelings for one another.This fic will likely span through Season 7 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and will continue through to the end of Star Wars: Rebels.Edit: On Hiatus
Relationships: CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla
Comments: 50
Kudos: 125





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first fic for AO3, so be sure to review and let me know what you think! I will be uploading the first three chapters today, and will attempt to upload as regularly as possible, so stay tuned!
> 
> Disclaimer: Ahsoka is 18 in this fic, as she is in Season 7. The way I see it and how I have thus formed this story, Ahsoka and Rex don’t ever have a possible romantic connection until Season 7 of TCW.

Rex and Ahsoka were in the fight of their lives. They had already survived this far into the chaos and horror that was Order 66.

And now Rex had to get them out of there.

After Maul had escaped with the only shuttle, they had hurried around the wreckage that was the Venator for what seemed like hours, before finally finding their salvation in a beat up Y wing lingering at the end of the corridor.

Rex quickly climbed into the small ship, trying to figure out what to do next. As he sat down in front of the controls, he felt a sharp pain as his torso, the dash of the small ship hitting him right where his body had connected with the Y wing as Ahsoka had thrown him into it with the Force and winced. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Ignoring the pain, he looked up sharply to see if Ahsoka was still managing against the clones firing at her. She was. Rex wanted to go to her, to help her, but he stopped himself. He needed to organize their escape. This was their only hope, now.

As he saw the clones - his brothers - firing at Ahsoka relentlessly, he felt his heart twist agonizingly.

He could almost imagine what they were feeling.

He’d almost turned his blaster toward himself to get the voice saying to kill her to stop. Deeper down, past his engineering, he had known he couldn’t live with hurting her.

He wanted to protect her, for as long as he could remember. From the first moment he saw her. She wasn’t the only one to treat the clones like people, but she was the only one to treat them like friends.

When she had left the Order, he felt a piece of his heart go with her. He remembered staying up late into the night, nearly every night, staring up at the ceiling of his bunk. Thinking about her. Where she was, what she was up to. If she was safe.

He thought about how close they had been, all their lives. Especially after the most traumatic battle of his short life, on Umbara. She was the only one of the Jedi to come and talk to clones after she had heard about the immense pain Krell had inflicted upon them. He remembered her sitting quietly in his bunk with him, rubbing his shoulders gently as he cried about killing his own men. She hadn’t judged him, or forgotten about him. She was the only Jedi who hadn’t.

And then she left.

And when he received the news that she was coming back to aid the Council, he had been quietly ecstatic to see her.

When Rex had seen Ahsoka’s familiar face walk into the hangar, and watched her amazed expression with pride as she took in the display of the orange and white 501st clone helmets painted orange and white in her honor, he couldn’t have been more excited to see his old friend.

She had looked so different. So much older. As they spoke to each other in between strategies and briefings, he’d realized that while she was still her old special self, she had grown up into an intelligent and beautiful woman.

After sitting in meetings and talking with her for days on end about, among other things, their plans for what would later be known as the Battle of Mandalore, he realized in the long time she’d been gone from the Order, that she had become incredibly smart and driven. But her compassion and character hadn’t changed a bit.

They had gotten to talk together for hours at times before the Generals stole her away for meetings with the Council, and he felt himself beginning to fall for her as they reconnected, now both very different people. 

He thinks that was when it occurred to him just how much they’d both changed, for the better, he liked to think. It was over those days that he had fallen in love with her. 

Unfortunately, it was in that immediate moment also that reality set in again. He was a clone, after all. Clones didn’t get happy endings.

He loved her. The evidence was stacked against him. But now, he was losing her. He was losing everyone.

And gods, there was nothing he could do.

Rex panicked as he saw Ahsoka still struggling against the clones. He couldn’t even think of them as his brothers. It was then that he heard a horrifying mechanical scraping noise, and realized that the chasm that had split the ship apart had reached the hangar at last, and the Venator began to crack under the weight of the pressure.

Rex heard yet another terrifying, impossibly loud crack as the floor split in two, sending the clones, and Ahsoka, flying down the center of the ship.

As Ahsoka looked at his panicked, terrified face, arms waving frantically at her, faint tears in his eyes as she slid rapidly down, the floor of the ship scraping and cutting her all over her body, time seemed to slow and she felt herself think with absolute clarity.

She had missed him terribly when she left the Jedi order. Perhaps most of all, after her crushed relationship with her Master and her animosity towards the Council. She had always wondered about him. Thought about him. In fact, he had occupied most of her thoughts in the past months. Mostly, if she would ever see him again.

Or if she could tell him how she really felt about him now that she was no longer a part of the Order.

He had been on her mind for too long. In fact, he was the only reason she had agreed to come back. And as she felt herself sliding ever further to her certain death, she wanted him to be her last thought. It was then that she felt a sense of calm wash over her, in the midst of the exploding fire, smoke, and death around her, as she thought of him.

He was in the Y wing, and could launch at any moment and escape from this waking nightmare.  _ He’s going to be okay _ , she thought.

She was jolted forcefully back into her body by catching one last glimpse of his terrified face, she knew. His face said everything. He wouldn’t be okay.

It was then that she suddenly felt violently sick at the thought of losing him like she had just lost her beloved Master. Then, even the thought of him leaving her line of sight terrified her.

She had to protect him from this. All of this.

But she couldn’t.

However, she wouldn’t give up without trying. With this revelation, she felt her resolve cascade back together. She felt the Force flow through her, urging her back to him. She wasn’t going to be the one to hurt the clones.

She wasn’t going to be the one to hurt Rex, either.

With that, she stabbed her lightsabers into the metallic floor of the ship, and came to a stop with a deafening screech. She hauled herself up and sprinted towards Rex, every feeling and thought of him over the years carrying her ever closer to him.

She ran, and ran, and ran, beginning to feel her exhaustion acutely as her lungs struggled and burned, the smoke invading her body. She noticed Rex had his arms outstretched, waiting to catch her when she would inevitably jump over to him. That simple action caused her heart to tighten in her chest.

_ I’m coming _ , she thought with the slightest hint of a smile.

And then he fell as the Y wing was forcefully jerked out of the hangar by the pressure change, and Rex was gone.

Rex felt his body bang repeatedly into the confined walls of the cockpit, bruising his shoulders and face, as it spun violently in the wreckage of the Venator. The sound of the turbines failing and the intense scraping of metal assaulted his ears.

When he finally found which way was up, he noticed he was quite a ways away from where the Y wing had been ripped violently from the hangar.

He needed to go back. He took several shallow breaths, and began fidgeting frantically with the dash. It failed to respond. It just sat there, non-functioning. He felt as if it was punishing him.

_ Gods damn it _ , he thought,  _ why is this happening _ ?

He couldn’t lose her. Not now.

Panicked, he slammed his fingers against the controls, trying hopelessly to take control of the seemingly rogue steering mechanism. Finally, the dash lit up and he threw the small ship's weak engine into full power, feeling the intense g-force hit his already broken body as the ship blasted forward.

He didn’t even think about the enormous wreckage’s effect on the Y wing. He was just thinking about Ahsoka.

He flew deftly through the carnage, swiftly avoiding a massive anchoring spike that threatened to take down the infinitely smaller Y wing.

He began to scan the skies for any sign of Ahsoka. His eyes moved around frantically, and he found himself, for the first time in his life, pleading to whatever gods were listening that he would find her. He could feel himself beginning to hyperventilate as the noise became too much, and finding her too hopeless.

It was a testament to the brutality of the situation that in all his years of fighting, sometimes to the death, for the GAR, this is the first time he’d felt like this. This out of control. This lost.

And then all the oppressive noise went quiet. He saw her.

She was falling through the sky, the wind crushing her montrals behind her, as the fire exploded around her.

She somehow still looked as graceful as ever.

Rex skillfully maneuvered the small ship over to her position, his heart beating a mile a  _ second _ . He heard her metallic forearm brace scratch the metal of the ship as she grabbed on to it. _ This is it _ , he thought,  _ she’s going to be okay. _

Or so he thought.

His stomach dropped as he heard a scratch again, longer this time. Looking behind him, he saw her fly off the edge of the ship and get devoured by the smoke of the wreckage.

“No, no, no.” He said shakily, over and over as he dodged the ship around a flying activation cylinder, looking for her.

He couldn’t see anything.

“NO!” He shouted, tears beginning to well in his eyes as he jerked the steering column of the ship to the other side, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

Suddenly, he saw her again. He spotted the thin blue lines of her montrals emerge from under the oppressive blanket of smoke, and saw her running across the starboard platform of the ship.

Suddenly, a sense of calm took him over as he felt the spirit of his inner soldier flow through his veins, and he began to guide the ship directly alongside her. Dimly, he wondered, in his biological programming, how he was able to get so terrified in the first place.

He saw her normally calm, joyful face looking utterly fearful as she sprinted across the top of the Venator.

“Come on, Ahsoka.” He said quietly to himself, as if trying to make her hear him. “Come on, you can do it.”

Even though he was certainly no Jedi, he still tried to cast his reassuring thoughts towards her.

_ I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me, _ he thought, just as she had recited to him when she saved his life.

It was in that moment she jumped, flying off the side of the ship and getting sucked into the force of the air. She reached out, and in his peripheral view he could see her small hand reaching and flexing toward the open hatch.

_ You’ve got it, Ahsoka. I’ve got you _ , he thought.

He heard a small crack, and he whirled around, fearing the worst, that the hatch had broken open and that she was gone. He began to choke.

But as the rear cockpit came into his view, all he saw was her. Safely in the rear seat.

He exhaled a deep, shaky breath before grabbing the controls almost painfully tightly to drag the Y wing back up, so the massive ship’s force didn’t take them down with it.

_ Okay, _ he thought frantically.  _ Okay, you can do this, Rex. _

He wasn’t the best pilot, even in the easiest of circumstances. But this? He was completely out of his depth. Which was a novel feeling for him.

He quickly guided the ship down through the changing air pressure levels, somehow tightening his hold on the controls even harder, to where he could feel the ridges digging and cutting painfully into his calloused skin.

He began to panic as the ship shook with the weight of the changing pressures, and the dash lit up with blinking, beeping warnings.

And then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! This chapter is a long one, so strap in! Be sure to leave a review, and let me know what ya think!

Rex awoke with a start, his head coming up sharply from where it had been laying on the dash controls.He could feel the imprint of the hyperdrive shaft on his forehead.

He thought it a miracle that he wasn’t dead. And then he remembered.

_ Ahsoka _ .

He whirled around frantically towards the rear cockpit, his back twisting painfully in the process. She was there. Alive. And awake.

Rex opened the hatch hastily and stumbled out of the Y-Wing, blinking rapidly into the bright light of the sky. He looked around at the dull grey surroundings, setting perfectly matching the bleak situation he and Ahsoka had found themselves in. The sky was a sickening grey, and he could feel the thick smoke from the wreckage begin to choke him.

He looked down at his hands, realizing he was still shaking violently. He couldn’t remember a time where he shook this badly. Not even Umbara. He felt a tear slip down his cheek. His entire mind felt cloudy and crushed. He’d never felt this way. Even after all the traumatic battles he and the others had lived through.

But this battle was different. He had fought against his brothers. Men who shared his face. Men he had fought alongside for years, though it often felt more like a lifetime given the short life span of a clone.

The precarious moment, somehow slow but incredibly fast at the same time where he felt the Venator grind on its axis, and he had to watch in horror as all his men, and Ahsoka, slid down the concrete floor of the hanger to their inevitable death, had changed him. At that moment he knew it was over.

His greatest fear then was no longer not escaping from the ship, but the fear that the moment would be forever seared in his mind and that he'd never be able to forget. If he even had five minutes left alive to remember, it would be too long.

The guilty feeling that burned itself into his stomach began to crawl viciously up his throat until he choked out a small sob. Their brothers had tried to kill them. But now they were all dead. And he had survived.

_ Was it all his fault? _

He was forcefully pulled out from inside his guilty mind by a small metallic scratching sound coming from behind him. Wiping his face with the back of his forearm roughly, he turned towards it. He felt even more guilt hit him, if that was even possible, as he saw Ahsoka behind the glass of the small ship, stuck in the rear cockpit and struggling to open the busted latch.

He immediately ran over.

The Y wing was nearly destroyed beyond repair, with shards and pieces of the Venator stuck into all sides of it, from when he’d bravely flown back into the continuing wreckage of the disintegrating ship to find Ahsoka. The damage to the Y wing was further compounded by his less than gentle landing, that had caused a piece of shrapnel to lodge in the lock mechanism of the rear cockpit.

It definitely hadn’t been his best landing, but then again, he never claimed to be a good pilot.

“I’m so sorry, Commander. Here, let me get that for you.”

Ahsoka didn’t seem bothered. In fact, she just gave him a tired smile from behind the glass and sat back in the torn seat, abiding by his words. She closed her eyes for a moment while Rex messed with the lock, thinking about all that had just happened. She wanted to cry. To scream. To fight.

To die.

Instead, she just sat.

It was only when she heard Rex hiss slightly in pain that she opened her eyes again. She looked up sharply, still incredibly on edge, her senses heightened to an almost frightening degree by all the chaos that had just ensued. She realized while he was prying the shrapnel from the lock mechanism, he had taken off his glove to get a better grip, and the piece had slipped and sliced three of his fingers open while coming out of the lock.

She scrambled out of the rear of the plane, and then in contrast to her frantic movements, gently grabbed his hand from where he held it gingerly in his other, inspecting it closely.

Rex tried to ignore the heat emanating from her gentle touch as her slight, small fingers brushed across his. He found himself staring down at where she held him, unable to look away.

He forced himself to look up, only to find her staring deep into his eyes with an unreadable emotion.

Suddenly, he winced as he saw all the scrapes and burns over Ahsoka’s shoulders, face, and legs. He kicked himself mentally as another thought entered his mind.

_ She’s still so beautiful. _

She had obviously made his wound a top priority, and he felt an extreme amount of remorse at not noticing hers sooner.

Distantly, he wondered if he had caused some of those wounds. _ Had he hurt her?  _ If this was true, he didn’t know that he could live with himself.

_ Why hadn’t he fought for Fives and prevented all of this from happening? _

_ Why didn’t he tell her? _

_ Would she ever forgive him? _

_ And why, out of all of his brothers, had she chosen him? Why did he get to live?  _ He felt like vomiting.

He guiltily ripped his hand away, brushing it on the side of his armor, leaving fine red streaks down his scratched white chest plate. “I’m fine,” he replied shortly. “Are you okay, Commander?”

She didn’t even know how to respond to that question.  _ How could she be? Would she ever be okay again? _ But she knew that’s not what he was referencing.

“I’m okay, Rex. Give it back.” She spoke softly, gesturing to his injured hand. “And don’t call me Commander.”

He reluctantly gave her his hand, and she began to inspect it again. It felt more than a little odd to have  _ her  _ looking after  _ him _ .

She stroked the edges of the wound carefully, frowning. “Give me just a sec.” she said, before heading back to the Y wing. She opened the hatch, retrieving the emergency pack, and brought it back to where Rex stood waiting.

He simply watched her as she methodically took out a pair of gauze bandages and medical tape, and began to wrap it gently around his fingers.

The silence between them was deafening with the incredible weight of the last hours.

The images just kept flashing into her mind as she worked.

Jesse shooting at her and Rex.

The clones firing into the droids.

Letting Maul escape in the shuttle.

The brightly painted orange and blue helmets of the clones, modeled after her, sliding down and out of the ship.

She let a tear fall in memory of this.

The black smoke pluming from the Venator as it flew apart, with the bodies of the clones, the bodies of the only family she’d ever known, inside.

Rex tearing off his helmet, and screaming her name from the Y wing.

_ Rex _ . She was bandaging him. She needed to pay attention.

Snapping out of her dark thoughts, she began to tear off pieces of medical tape to seal the bandage, when her mind wandered again. This time, she began to think about the contours of Rex's rough, strong hands as her fingers brushed across them.

These hands had been with her through every battle. They had killed, carried to safety, protected.

All of the sudden, she found herself attacked by an intrusive thought, wondering what they would feel like on her.

_ God, Ahsoka, get it together,  _ she thought. She knew that her thoughts were simply a stress reaction, a wish to come on to Rex, to feel safe, and protected. A distraction.

_ Right? _

Shaking her head briskly, as if to clear out unwanted thoughts, she placed the last piece of tape and gently patted his hand. “All good.” She said, smiling at him.

“Thank you, Commander.” He said, a hint of a deep, intense emotion flashing through his eyes as he made eye contact with her, before disappearing completely.

“My name is Ahsoka, Rex.” She snapped. “Don’t call me commander anymore.”

Her sharp tone caused him to recoil. He was just trying to show her respect, after all. To show her that she hadn’t lost his, even after leaving the Order. But the last thing she needed was back talk.

“I’m sorry. I won’t.” He hesitated for a beat, before saying, “But why? You’ve always been ‘commander’ to me.”

She sighed, regretting how she had snapped at him. That was the last thing he needed right now.  _ Idiot _ , she thought.

“Because I’m not anything, anymore.” She spoke ruefully.

“That’s not true, Ahsoka.” He said softly, emphasizing her name. “You’re everything to me.”

She looked up at him sharply.

Rex froze. Did he  _ really  _ just say that? What the  _ hell  _ was wrong with him?

“I-I’m sorry, Ahsoka. That was...I-“ he stammered.

She simply smiled slightly at him. “Don’t worry about it.” He felt himself relax again, if only slightly.

The awkwardness of the moment started to fade away. She had just treated it like a misstep. She hadn’t allowed her own...feelings for Rex to complicate things, and had successfully calmed things down. With all the emotion flowing through today, she could hardly blame him for slipping up like that. After all, he simply meant that she was an important and well-liked friend.

_ Right? _

Then she remembered the terrifying moment when she thought she’d lost him. She remembered how he had pointed his guns at her, hands shaking uncontrollably, tears shining in his eyes. She quickly blinked the thought away, before more invaded.

_ How could Rex ever forgive her for setting Maul free, causing the death of his brothers? For failing to warn the Jedi Council what Maul had told her about Sidious? _

_ Maybe they would still be here if she had just gotten over her, now in hindsight, petty mistrust of the Order. _

_ Would the guilt never stop? Would she ever feel happy again? _

She wanted to scream.

But she didn’t. Instead, she released Rex’s hand and began to slowly walk back over to the Venator crash site. She felt as if she was in a dream.

_ Oh Ahsoka _ , Rex thought as he observed her broken form heading towards the wreck,  _ don’t torture yourself. _

He watched her as she slowly came to a stop beside the huge scar that marred the otherwise bare and rocky face of the moon. And then she just stared into the pit.

His guilty thoughts from earlier returned with a vengeance, and he forced himself to look away from her. What he would occupy himself with, he had no idea, but he didn’t want to crowd her.

Plus, he was more than a little afraid that she would never even want to see him again. But he couldn’t face her finally admitting that, the moment she’d finally say it. Not yet.

So he simply walked back over to the wrecked Y wing and began to pull out the basic supplies for creating a camp. He knew exactly what he needed, but said it aloud anyway to distract himself from the horrible lingering thoughts that were waiting to intrude if he had an empty mind. Besides, night was beginning to settle in on the crisp, rocky surface of the moon, and he knew it was going to get very cold, and very quickly.

“Tent. Stakes. Canteen. Sleeping pad-”

He was interrupted by a small scraping sound. In his mind, he had convinced himself it was Ahsoka packing up what little share of supplies she had and beginning to leave him. He didn’t even want to see it. He couldn’t say goodbye.

After what felt an eternity, he gained the courage to turn around, and saw Ahsoka moving on the other side of the large ship’s wreckage. Through the smoke, he turned to watch as she slowly pulled one of his dead brother’s bodies out from the wreckage to the clearing in front of the Venator.

_ What was she doing?  _

She then picked up what looked like a shovel and started digging into the ground. 

_ Where did she even get a shovel? _

She took a break from digging, staring off again, before she then gently touched the trooper’s orange and white helmet, and he saw her roughly wipe what seemed like a tear away from her face with the back of her hand.

Leaning down, Ahsoka began to remove his helmet. As she did so, he saw she had stuck a long, jagged piece of shrapnel into the ground beside her. She ever so gently laid the helmet on top of it. Now he knew what she was doing.

She was burying him.

He just stared. Clones never got burials. Much less memorials. Ahsoka knew this. But she still created one in their memory. He added it to the ever growing list in his head of reasons he loved her, and reasons he couldn’t say goodbye.

He saw her tiredly lean down to grasp him by the shoulders and drag him to the beginning of the hole she’d dug. She struggled with the weight, so Rex snapped out of his revelry and began to make his way over to help.

As he approached, he could see that turned her eyes downward to see his brother’s face. She abruptly dropped his shoulders to the harsh ground and began to stare out again.

“Ahsoka?” Rex called questioningly, almost to her now.

As he got closer, he could see she was shaking ever so slightly. “Ahsoka?” He said as he finally reached her, placing his uninjured, gloved hand gently on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

She was silent. Until she forcefully shoved herself down onto the ground, and threw up.

_ Oh gods, _ he thought. _ I don’t know how much more of this I can take. _

Leaning down, he began to rub her back soothingly. “Ahsoka,” he said gently. “It’s okay, you don’t-you don’t have to do this.”

He turned toward the body, and immediately could see why she had become so sick. His brother’s face had been badly bruised from the crash. So badly that he could almost see and feel the bruises on his own face.

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I do, Rex. It’s-it’s the least I owe them. I was the one who let Maul go.” She began to cry. “I...I got everyone killed.” She sobbed, her voice raising. “It’s all my fault.”

At this, he dragged her up from the ground by her slim shoulders and made her look him in the eye. “Ahsoka, this is not your fault.” He took a deep breath. “It’s mine. I...I should have listened to Fives. I could’ve stopped this.” He couldn’t stop, the words just kept pouring out. “...I almost killed you.”

Suddenly, she felt the urge to lean forward and kiss him. Right then. But she took a breath, and settled for laying her scarred and dirt covered hand gently on his face. “No, Rex.” She said. “You...you could never hurt me. Listen, we’re going to be okay. Both of us.” She paused for a moment, running a tired hand over her face. “Can you just...can you help me take care of them?”

“Of course.” He replied.

With that, they began to pull out every body they could recover from the wreckage with stoic determination. They worked late into the night, digging hole after hole, no longer even caring how cold the wind chill of the moon became around them.

When Ahsoka reverently placed the last helmet onto a small stick she had jutted into the ground, she took a deep breath. She looked up at the sky for the first time in hours, the smoke from the wreckage mostly cleared and the dawn light beginning to settle on the moon’s surface, casting a white sparkling glow across the landscape.

Just before Ahsoka finished burying the last of the men, Rex had left to go set up a camp for them.

As she wiped the sweat from her brow, she looked out across the barren landscape to find Rex setting up near the mangled Y wing, and she made her way over to him.

“Hey there.” He greeted her as she walked up. “Are they all okay?” She nodded, knowing what he meant.

She saw that he had laid out a sleeping mat for her, as well as a ration of food. She was touched by the small gesture. Sitting down exhaustedly on the mat, she stretched her legs out around her. Looking down at the pathetic ration, she spoke for the first time in hours.

“Would you be terribly offended if I didn’t eat this? Not so sure I could keep it down.” She said with a rueful smirk.

“No,” he sighed dramatically. “I’ll just save my excellent cooking for someone who will appreciate it.” At this, she felt herself laugh for the first time in seemingly forever.

Rex bent down to scoop up the small ration, and took a bite out of it. “Mmm,” he said, mouth full. “...disgusting.” She then laughed again as he chucked the ration as far as he could throw, the crumbs falling apart through the air before landing pitifully with a squish on the ground.

She couldn’t remember a time where he had been this cavalier.

He turned his attention to the small pile of wood that, through nothing short of a miracle, he had managed to find on the small moon.

He reached around in his pack for a lighter, knowing it was there. Frustrated when he couldn’t immediately find it, he simply gave up and pulled out his blaster.

Normally, he’d want to save ammunition for if they were ambushed by clankers. But Rex knew none of that mattered anymore. Nothing he and his brothers had done, and had sacrificed, mattered.

So he carelessly aimed and shot the blaster a couple times under the wood pile to light a fire.

The sound of the shot startled Ahsoka, causing her to scramble up from the mat, and he immediately felt awful, feeling like he was just traumatizing her more.

“I’m sorry, ‘Soka. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

She smirked at her new nickname. “It’s okay, Rex. We’ve been through much worse than that today.”

They had talked about nothing in particular the rest of the night, trying to distract themselves from the horrible reality of the day. They talked about holomovies, banthas, training stories, and anything else lighthearted.

As the fire began to slowly die out, they felt their energy go with it. About ready to say that he was going to sleep, Rex looked up to find the small glow from the fire illuminating Ahsoka’s orange skin. He couldn’t seem to stop looking at her. She looked beautiful, basked in a slight golden glow.

She looked up, and made eye contact with him, that unreadable emotion still playing in her eyes. Embarrassed, he turned his head away, and spoke. “I...I think I’m going to get some rest.”

“Okay.” She replied simply. “Goodnight, Rex.” She said with a small smile before reaching to her canteen and pouring a small amount of water on the fire to put it out completely.

With this, she laid down on her side, facing Rex’s back from across from the small fire he’d made. He had quickly turned away from her, onto his side to get to sleep.

Ahsoka laid awake, simply watching his sleeping form rise and fall gently with his breathing. She could tell however, by the occasional longer breath or hitch in his throat that he was awake, as well.

If his thoughts had been anything like hers, she felt terrible for him. She didn’t want him to suffer.

Before she could even think, she found herself speaking again.

“Rex...are you awake?”

She watched as he slowly turned around, making eye contact with her from across the small fire pit.

“Yeah. I thought you were asleep. Did I wake you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” She said with a slight smile. “I’ve been awake the whole time.”

“Ah.” He replied, not knowing quite how to respond. They simply stared at each other, breathing, until Ahsoka broke the silence again.

“Isn’t that armor uncomfortable? No wonder you can’t sleep.”

With all that had gone on the day, Rex hadn’t even realized he still had his armor on.

“Why don’t you take it off?” She replied.

“It’s not too bad.” He lied. In truth, he didn’t want to take it off now. He’d always felt exposed without it. Especially now, around Ahsoka.

“Rex...” she replied simply, seeming to feel his indecision. “You need to rest.”

He sighed, knowing she was right. He began to methodically remove his armor, starting with his ruined pauldron, setting it neatly aside in piles behind him. Finally, he removed his cuirass and laid back, leaving him in his issued blacks.

“There. Happy now?” He asked Ahsoka sarcastically.

“Oh get over it, Rex.” She said with a smile, “Just because I’m not your commander anymore doesn’t mean I don’t still know what’s best for you.”

Rex simply smiled and rolled back over to sleep. As he finally drifted away, he was thinking,

_ She always would. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Hope you are enjoying the fic so far, please be so kind as to leave a comment!
> 
> PS, I swear this story has a happy ending in the works, so stick with me!

Ahsoka’s dreams that night were full of disjointed images, and half forgotten memories. She awoke in a daze, blinking rapidly in the bright, oppressive light of the suns casting down on the ground. The smoke from the wreckage had finally cleared, taking a small amount of pain with it, and she felt her lungs take the first clean, deep breath of air in days.

With a new clarity, she looked around at her surroundings. She was warm in her Republic issued sleeping bag as she saw snow gently fall around her, hitting the harsh ground and dissolving as quickly as it had fallen. She could see the ship off in the distance, the large black hull standing stark against the soft white snow of the moon’s surface. She could see the orange and white helmets of the men they had buried standing tall in front of it, as if watching over them.

Slowly, she cast her gaze to Rex, who was still asleep and breathing softly. Getting out from between the fluffy blankets of her sleeping bag, she immediately shivered against the oppressive cold. She wrapped herself up in one of the grey blankets from the bag, and walked the short distance over to the burial site.

She simply stood, looking out amongst the wreckage with squinting, sad eyes. 

She thought about nothing in particular.

After standing still, staring, after what seemed like a small eternity, she reached behind her and pulled out the saber that Anakin gave her. She shed a single tear.

“We’ll meet again...Master.”

She choked back a sob, before continuing.

“I can’t wait, Skyguy.”

Pulled from her revelry by soft sounds coming from their makeshift camp, she slipped her lightsaber back into her belt. She noticed Rex’s sleeping bag moving ever so slightly. Ahsoka began to walk back over, knowing he’d likely be waking up soon.

As she reached where he laid on the ground, she noticed that his light breathing had turned erratic, and he was shaking slightly, eyes still tightly closed. He was having a nightmare.

She gently reached down to stroke the top of his shoulder. Rex continued to shake. With more force, she shook his shoulder, and his eyes snapped open with a gasp.

“Rex, it’s okay.” She said softly.

He looked up at her with tired, swollen eyes, blinking rapidly in the midst of the harsh sunlight, passing a worn hand over his face to feebly shield his eyes. “Oh...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you, I-“

It was obvious from the way he was talking he had gotten about as much sleep as she had. Which was not much.

“I’ve been up for awhile, Rex. Are you hungry?”

He nodded. He slid out of the sleeping bag, shivering as he did so. He grabbed his battered armor from the dirt and began to slowly put it back on again, as if in a daze. With that, Ahsoka stepped over to where their supplies laid under the hull of their Y wing. She dug through, not finding much of substance. Finally, she pulled out two vacuum packed bags of portion bread, and began to tear them open. She set them gently on two plates and added a sprinkle of water from her canteen.

Walking back over to where Rex now stood, in full armor except for his helmet, she smiled as she handed him the plate of food.

“Thanks, ‘Soka.” He said. “For, everything.”

“Of course, Rex. Thank you.”

With that, they sat in silence, their emotions of the last day had covered up their intense hunger, and they both ate quickly. As they had finished, they both began to speak.

“Rex, we should-“

“Ahsoka, I think-“

“No, you go ahead.” Ahsoka said, motioning for him to continue.

“Right. Well, I just...I think we should move on from here.”

_ I can’t keep being reminded by the ship _ , he thought. But he didn’t tell her this.

“It’s cold, and-“

Ahsoka interrupted, sighing ruefully. “That’s quite the understatement.”

“Freezing, actually.” He continued with a chuckle, deep in his chest. “Anyways, we’re starting to run low on basic supplies. These are our last rations, and I doubt I’ll be able to gather that much firewood again.”

She nodded, knowing this moment had to come. She knew they couldn’t stay together. The clones, or the Empire, or whoever, she didn’t really know anymore would surely find the wreckage, and she didn’t want them having a better chance at finding them by staying together. “Okay.” She sighed, “I’ll go North, you can head in that direction.” She spoke, feebly gesturing towards the skyline. “ I think there may be a shuttle, but-“

He cut her off with a look. A devastated look. All the breath had seemed to leave his body. “You’re leaving?”

“I’m so sorry, Rex. I don’t want to, but we’re in danger here, and if we stick together then we could be found easier, and if something bad happened to y-“

He interrupted her again. “Ahsoka, if we stick together, we have a better chance at _ making it. _ We have one Y wing between us. I can get it working, and we can find somewhere to hide out. And then...then we can go our separate ways.” He said, his heart breaking with every word.

Against her better judgement, she accepted this plan, knowing it meant even just a few more days with him.

With that, they went their separate ways, Rex working on the Y wing and Ahsoka gathering what little remained of their supplies. Turns out the damage to the ship was mostly cosmetic, and he was able to have it running in just a couple hours.

He walked back over to her, grabbing the last of the supplies from her overloaded arms.

_ Always the gentleman _ , she thought ruefully.

“We should be clear to take off, Ahsoka. The engine is primed.”

She nodded, casting her gaze over to the clone memorial they had constructed. “I’m um...” she said in a thick voice, her emotions catching in her throat.

She cleared it and spoke again, gesturing feebly to the Venator. “I’m going to say goodbye.”

He nodded once, unshed tears in his eyes. “I’ll wait here.”

She didn’t pressure him. She understood why he wasn’t going to say his goodbyes as well. She knew it’d be too hard. 

It was certainly too hard for her.

But she walked anyway.

He watched as she strode slowly over, grey covering flapping in the gentle wind of the moon. He noticed it was a blanket, smiling slightly at this realization. She even made wearing a blanket look nice.

Rex shoved the last of the supplies into the ship, and looked back at her. There she stood, legs planted firmly on the ground as if standing against the entire galaxy. He saw a small object drop from her hand. He didn’t know what it was, but he felt he shouldn’t ask. So as she walked back over and climbed in the rear cockpit, he just nodded.

He climbed onto the back of the ship, hovering over the glass Ahsoka was behind, pulling out a screwdriver and nail bit he had stored in his utility belt, and fixed the broken lock mechanism, keeping her safely inside. She smiled at him from behind the glass, and he gently patted it and moved again.

He slid down, plastoid armor scraping against the slight incline of the ship’s metal roof, into the cockpit. He started the engines, feeling the power surge beneath him. He felt the ground abruptly lift out from under him as he lifted off. Rex looked out the window as the Y wing climbed in altitude as his men and the ship slowly faded from his view. He had one last thought before turning back to the sky ahead.

  
_ Goodbye _ .


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you to everyone who has continued to read and comment, you guys are the best!

After a few hours of travel, they had failed to find an adequate place to land. First, they passed Alderaan, and had decided it was too crowded with Imperials for their liking. Then came Mandalore which was too...at war.

Finally, a small planet had sprung up on the Y wings nav charts, called Abafar.

It was a insignificant little backwater skug hole. Which was exactly what they were looking for.

Ahsoka had commed ahead to Abafar air control, notifying them of their landing. As they reached their destination, the light of the orange sky shined in their eyes casting a glow across the dirty beige city.

Rex gently guided the Y wing into one of the open hangars, before paying the attendant one of the few credits they had left.

They began to stretch their aching muscles, the trauma of the past days weighing on their tired bodies acutely.

Ahsoka then abruptly realized they didn’t exactly fit in here, in a Republic issue Clone Trooper uniform and Mandalorian battle wear, respectively. And they definitely didn’t want to be attracting the wrong kind of attention.

“Rex.” Ahsoka whispered, gently nudging his armor clad shoulder. “We need to change.” He had been thinking the same thing. He nodded, looking around for a store or market or...anything.

Hesitant to wander around, they simply peeked out from behind the grimy wall of the parking bay, scanning the dismal surroundings to no avail.

After a moment, they saw a little old Rhodian woman, walking hunched over down the bright street, with more blankets and shawls around her than body to cover.

As Ahsoka continued to look around, Rex dug in his pockets, finding a few of their last credits.

Ahsoka heard the jingling and turned to look at him questioningly. He responded by simply arching an eyebrow and jerking his jaw up in the woman’s direction.

“No way, Rex.”

“I don’t know that we have a choice.”

“I-“ she sighed. “Okay.”

And that’s how they found themselves, minutes later, wrapped in brown and black shawls smelling of old perfume.

Rex had his wrapped around his right shoulder in a sash that came down across his waist, conveniently hiding his Republic signet, holster, and belt. Ahsoka had hers wrapped around her slim shoulders, and had created a hood with some of the extra length to cover her face.

They walked along the sidewalk, Ahsoka’s face huddled under her shawl as Rex cast his gaze to the ground, avoiding eye contact with any passers by. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, they saw a figure eyeing them suspiciously, leaning over to try to catch a glimpse of Ahsoka’s face.

She felt a sense of dread settle tightly into her stomach.

Rex sensed her apprehension, and placed his hand gently on her shoulder before picking up his pace and training his eyes to the ground, attempting to slip away unnoticed.

“Hey!” The figure shouted out after them.

Ahsoka stopped with a sharp inhale, figuring running would only make things worse. Rex tightened his hold on her shoulder, and she looked over at him to see his fingers dip beneath his cloth covering, hovering over his blaster holster.

They heard the stranger’s footsteps approaching behind them.

Rex turned tentatively toward the figure, fingers tightening on his blaster, ready to defend himself and Ahsoka, but was quickly floored with shock. He was staring face to face at another clone.

————

“I knew it!” The figure shouted, startling them both. “I knew I wasn’t the only one left!”

Rex was rooted to the ground in utter disbelief. Ahsoka looked at him with the same expression.

“Hey listen, I thought I was crazy, but I knew I wasn’t crazy!” The man spoke in a pitched, rambling tone. “I knew I wasn’t the only one!”

Ahsoka was highly disconcerted, expecting the clone to figure out who they were, whirl on them at any second, and it would be over. 

But then, she cast her gaze up to his bald head, and noticed what looked like a small nick. She realized that this clone likely had his chip removed, and that he likely wouldn’t be turning on them. 

She wondered how that had happened .

She realized Rex was likely thinking the same, and she gently nudged him, leaning into him. “He doesn’t have a chip.” She whispered.

Rex nodded once. They were safe. 

“Are there any more clones here, soldier?” Rex asked him.

“Oh no, I’ve always been the only clone here.”

They both breathed a sigh of relief. Given the man’s elated reaction to Rex, they figured he would definitely tell them if there were.

“Who...are you?” Rex spoke hesitantly.

“The name’s Gregor.” He responded. “What about you? We have the same face!”

“Uh, Rex. This is Ahsoka Tan- this is Ahsoka.” He spoke, gently waving his hand towards her. She waved coyly back at Gregor.

“Right on! Hey, it’s great to see you guys! Were you in the war?”

Rex exchanged a puzzled glance with Ahsoka, who simply shrugged. “Yes. I was Captain of the 501st battalion.”

“Ooh, fancy!” Gregor exclaimed. “Well, one time I helped a worm and a pit droid escape.”

Rex blinked slowly. This was only getting crazier.

“Listen, it was great to meet you, uh, Gregor, but we need to keep movi-“

“No, Rex, we gotta talk! This is crazy!”

“Maybe we could catch up later, Ahsoka and I hav-“

Gregor interrupted him. “Listen, there’s this really great bar towards the end of town, it’s a ton of fun, and we could talk about how crazy it is, and-“

“That sounds like fun, Gregor but-“

“Oh it is!”

“Right.” Rex replied, inhaling deeply. “Listen, Gregor? I’m going to be honest with you. We’re in a tough spot. We need to find a safe place from the Emp-“

Gregor simply rolled his eyes. “There’s no Empire, here, Rex! This is it!” He said, gesturing around him grandly. “So listen, you guys could meet me there, and-“

“What do you mean, the Empire isn’t here?” Ahsoka spoke up for the first time.

“Well, they have a couple officers here and there, but they really sent their worst. Who wants to be stationed in a skug hole like this? The worst of the worst, that’s who! You’ll be plenty safe here.”

Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief, casting a glance at Rex, who shrugged. “Could be the best we’re going to get, ‘Soka.” he said in a low voice.

She agreed. “Thanks, Gregor. We appreciate it.”

“Great! Well you can thank me by telling me how you guys got here!”

“We’d love to, but we really ought to find a place to stay.”

“Oh, I can help with that. Just come with me to the bar, and we can talk it all through.”

“Okay, Gregor.” Ahsoka replied gently.

“Yeah...ye-yeah! Yes! We’re gonna go!” Gregor exclaimed giddily.

Rex felt himself beginning to grow a bit frustrated. He looked over at Ahsoka with an annoyed look, hoping she would commiserate with him nonverbally. He found her simply smiling feverishly at the proceedings.

“Yeah!” She cheered Gregor on.

_ So much for her staying focused on their objective,  _ he reflected. Immediately, he thought,

_ Gods, I’m still thinking like a clone. _

Not that he could’ve helped himself.

“Listen, Gregor, we have to find a place to stay, I’m sorry but now is not really the time, brother.”

“Of course it’s the time! Come on! What are you waiting for?! Last one there is a-“

“Gregor!” He cut him off harshly, immediately regretting his tone. “Gregor,” he said significantly gentler this time, “...we just need to find a place to settle for a couple nights, and then we can-“

Rex’s sharp tone had obviously meant nothing to Gregor, as he was still smiling goofily. “Yeah, I  _ knowww _ , Rex buddy! I have a hut you can stay in. Forget about it! Now can we go?”

At this, Rex was taken aback. He exchanged a questioning glance with Ahsoka, his eyes speaking for him. She simply shrugged, still wearing an amused smile on her face.

“Okay...” he sighed.

“Yeahhh!” Gregor nearly shouted, causing Rex to close his eyes slightly and lean back.

“Yeah!” Ahsoka responded, obviously caught up in his enthusiasm. For a brief moment, she felt like her old self again. One night of distractions would do them both well after all that had happened.

Gregor clapped Rex heartily on the back, and shook him roughly. “That’s the spirit! Follow me!”

“Okay! Gregor, but only for a few hours-“ he said trying to be serious, but his stern tone quickly turned into slight laughter. “And then we go.”

“Right, whatever, okay, here we go! Follow me!”

Rex sighed. This was going to be a long night. But maybe that’s exactly what he needed.

—————

Gregor walked quickly in front of them.

“Where have you been, buddy? Man, I tell ya, that little worm told me that I was a clone, but it’s still weird for you to have my face! How crazy is that?”

Rex sighed. “It’s crazy all right.” He said distractedly. “Listen, Gregor, where is this hut you have? I think we should both get settled before we go out and-“

“Oh, you want to see it? Okay!” Rex was startled as he jumped and did a small spin in their air, facing behind them. “This way!” He replied, shaking his finger animatedly towards the end of the street.

Ahsoka and Rex had to hurry to keep up with him as he walked them down the dimly lit road. He then led them down a side street, and then finally into a small alcove in the mortar walls. “Ta-dah!” He exclaimed, both hands outstretched in front of the hut, as if presenting it.

Ahsoka failed to hide her initial reaction to the hut. Calling it a hut was simply an overstatement. A small string of broken blinds hanging from one window, and the other window had no blinds at all. It was dimly lit with a small, white fluorescent lamp. As they followed Gregor inside, she noticed it was minimally decorated with a shaggy brown rug and a painting of a sunset with two moons, hanging slightly askew. Yet, it had two cots and some walls. That’s all she could really ask for.

She looked on in amusement at Rex’s semi-disgusted face, taking in their new surroundings. She turned back to Gregor, still smiling. “It’s perfect, Gregor, thank you. This is very generous.”

“No problem, my friends! Listen, I’m going to go, and you guys are going to get ready or whatever, and then walk down the street and you’ll see the bar I’m talking about! Okay, okay see you there!” He said, walking backward out of the hut before running out the flimsy door with a clatter.

Ahsoka was still in amazed shock at what transpired. She turned to Rex, chuckling slightly. “Well Rex, it looks as if I’ve been replaced as your best friend.”

“Not a chance.” He said ruefully. “Gregor is...something.”

“I like him.” She said, facing back toward the direction Gregor had left in.

The smile gently faded from her face.

“You know, Rex, if you’re not ready, we can stay in tonight and just rel-“

He cut her off. “No, I think...I think a distraction would be nice.”

He found her staring back at him with an interesting expression.

“I’m just being honest.”

“No, Rex, I get it. I agree completely.”

At this he smirked. “Plus, I need to know more about Gregor. I’m fascinated.”

She laughed at this, slugging her pack off her shoulders and on to the dusty floor. Rex did the same.

“Shall we?”

“Let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note about Gregor - I realized the only times we see him is when the Colonel and the astromechs leave him to fight the battle against the droids in TCW, and then when he returns in Rebels. Therefore, I kind of made the assumption that Gregor’s chip had been removed at that time, possibly during surgery after the wounds he sustained fighting the droids.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is when things really hit the fan for our favorite duo. Be sure to leave a comment, and let me know what you think!

The bar Gregor had been talking about had turned out to be no more than a hole in the wall. The scent of spice smoke and alcohol lingered like a blanket over the place, and the loud cantina band music filled the air. Still, it was better than nothing.

Ahsoka and Rex quickly spotted Gregor sitting at the bar and approached him, sliding on to the seats next to him.

“Hey! It’s Rex and a sock!”

Ahsoka laughed out loud at this. “It’s Ahsoka! My name is Ahsoka.” She said, leaning in closer so he could hear her over the loud noise.

“Right, a sock! Listen, what do you guys want to drink?”

Rex simply ordered a glass of the mid range alcohol, while Ahsoka opted for a colorful alcoholic concoction of fermented exotic fruits that she didn’t even know the name of.

He respected her bravery.

“So, what’s your story, Rex?” Gregor asked.

Ahsoka cringed a bit at this, watching Rex’s face turn down and his eyes shift away. He’d obviously been reminded of the crash.

“Only being the best captain that the GAR has ever seen.” Ahsoka spoke up, attempting to spare him from the question.

Rex recognized this, locking eyes with her and casting her an expression of immense gratitude. He found himself blushing, if only slightly, at her compliment.

“Wow! I bet! Way better than I was, I imagine!”

“That’s not true, Gregor. You seem like a very capable soldier.” Rex chimed in.

“Ah, not really!”

Ahsoka laughed at this. She had to respect the honesty.

As the night went on, and more drinks were ordered, they found themselves all talking and laughing about nothing in particular. Gregor had excused himself later that night, saying he had to go learn his ship.

Whatever that meant.

Ahsoka and Rex laughed at this, before seeing him off and returning to the bar.

“You missing Gregor already?” Ahsoka said sarcastically as they sank back down onto the bar stools. Rex smiled at this. “Yeah. But I’m glad I - we - found him.” He said in earnest. Ahsoka felt a rush of affection for him. He really did see the good in everyone. Just like her.

They stayed at the bar for a while, just talking as the hours ticked by.

This was the best night Ahsoka had had in awhile. Years, in fact. She spent the whole night laughing and joking with Rex about everything from Seppie droids to the Hutts.

Though dimly, she became aware of just how much Rex had been drinking that night.

“Rex,” she said quietly, laying her hand on the forearm holding the next shot he was about to take. “Do you think you should slow down?”

All at once, he felt incredibly guilty. He just wanted to forget. “Yeah,” he said meekly. “Yeah, I will.” He said, gently placing the glass back onto the scraped metal bar top and shoving it away from him.

“Should we go, Rex?” She said, feeling like trying to go out might have been a mistake. She felt horrible for pushing him into it.

She grabbed his arm gently and looked him into the eyes

“No!” He exclaimed with a smile, trying to save face with her. “No,” he said less excitedly, “I’m okay, ‘Soka. Let’s just stick around here for a bit.”

She smiled up at him. “Whatever you say, Captain.” Rex smirked at her, sliding off the bar stool. He then grabbed both of her hands before leaning back and dragging her towards the dance floor in the middle of the seedy bar.

“Rex, no way.” She laughed.

He looked at her confused, and then glanced around him. Rex laughed as he realized what this must look like to her. “Oh ‘Soka, you should know I can’t dance. I was just going to where we could actually hear each other.” He yelled above the bar room noise, gesturing to an empty booth in a barely lit corner of the room.

She breathed a sigh of relief. She was no dancer, either. In the back of her mind, she realized that she’d never heard him laugh this much. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he was slightly drunk, or because this was the real Rex, outside of battle. She liked to think the latter.

As they collapsed into the booth, they both smiled deliriously at each other. He was acting so...unlike Rex.

She quite liked him this way.

“How’s it going, Rex?” She asked jokingly, sarcastically chiding him.

“Oh just great, I’m ready to take down thirty droidekas by myself!” She had to laugh at this.  _ Maybe he’s going to be okay after all, _ she thought, while smiling at him wistfully.

It was then that she was jolted out of her pleasant thought by a large, rough hand on her shoulder, reaching up and pulling on her lekku.

Her Jedi instincts kicked in and she immediately turned around, seeing the source of the disturbance.

Beside her was a boy no older than 17, wearing a flimsy spice runner’s vest and jacket, smiling cheesily at her. Her fear quickly turned to annoyance. “Not interested,” she said mockingly. “Carry on!” She shouted above the noise, chuckling slightly.

But he wasn’t giving up easily. “Come on girl, I’ve always had a thing for Twi’leks.” She had to laugh at this. Poor kid was embarrassing himself.

Rex, however, was having a very different reaction to the boy’s antics.

Before she could even speak, she heard Rex’s voice. “She said she wasn’t interested,  _ chaavla _ . Get out of here.”

She whirled back towards Rex, surprised at the harshness in his voice. Obviously, the kid was harmless.

The kid spoke again, “Man, she can make her own decisions and I think she wants to dance.”

“Rex, it’s oka-“

Before Ahsoka could even get the words out, Rex had shoved the table back from him, startling Ahsoka, and forcefully stood up, making his way to where the kid stood.

Pointing his finger in the kid’s face, Rex was only inches from him, yelling at him. “Get the  _ hell _ out of here,  _ di’kut _ !”

“Rex!” Ahsoka said sharply. “Stop!” He was out of control. She reached out to grab his shoulder, and reluctantly he pulled his finger away and returned his hand limply to his side.

He was still breathing heavily, chest heaving. “We’re leaving, now.” Ahsoka said forcefully as she began to turn him around, guiding him towards the door. As she did so, she whispered into his ear. “What has gotten  _ into _ you, Rex? What was  _ that _ ?”

He shook his head and pulled his shoulder from her hand. And then the kid spoke again.

“Man, you let that bitch tell you what to do?”

Ahsoka didn’t even have time to react before Rex turned on his heel, pulled his fist, and punched him square in the face.

“REX!” She shouted sharply as the kid folded to the ground, nose bleeding. Rex pulled his fist back, looking down at the kid with a fiery look in his eye, as if challenging him to say anything else. He then abruptly turned again and strode out of the bar, the metal door clanging noisily behind him.

Ahsoka bent down to look at the kid. His nose was bleeding, but clearly not broken. He would be fine. She stood up and simply sighed down at him before following Rex out the door.

She didn’t see him immediately when she was looking around the empty, badly lit street, but finally caught his large form walking across the opposite end of the street.

She chased him down. “What the  _ hell  _ is wrong with you, Rex? Why would you  _ do _ that? That kid could report us! The Imperials would know it was us, we don’t exactly lay low looking like we do!” She shouted at him.

“Ahsoka, he wouldn’t leave you alone! What did you want me to do? Let him hurt you?”

“He wasn’t a  _ threat, _ Rex! He was a  _ kid _ !”

“Well, I’m sorry for caring about you. I won’t do it again.” He said sharply, his voice slightly slurred with alcohol. She knew he didn’t mean it, but the words still stung.

He turned back again, wresting himself from her grip, and walked away.

Ahsoka let him walk away. She was too angry to care. Besides, she knew he’d be back. She simply headed back toward their small hut at the end of town.

She had settled into her surroundings, and had begun to prepare rations for dinner that night. She still put out two plates, partly in the spirit that he’d be back soon. He’d already been gone a while.

_ What had gotten into him? _ Rex was no longer the cool-headed, reasonable leader as she once knew him. She wanted to blame it on how much he’d had to drink, but she felt that wasn’t all there was to it.

Was he just angry at himself, wanting to lash out, and the kid was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Was there something deeper wrong? Something he hadn’t told her?

Was he...  _ jealous _ ?

_ No, that’s not it.  _ She thought.  _ Rex doesn’t feel that way about me. _ She knew that one for sure.

As the small rations cooled down to the point of being inedible on the table, about two more hours had ticked by. Ahsoka began to feel highly concerned, even scared.  _ Was he that angry? _ There was no way. It just wasn’t in his DNA. Literally and figuratively.

After an agonizing amount of time went by, Ahsoka was startled when she finally heard the flimsy door of the small hut they shared clatter against the wall as it was pushed open.

Rex stumbled in, and she felt a sense of overwhelming dread course through her body as she looked at him. His perfect face was marred by countless scrapes and cuts, and he had a bruise coming in on his left cheek.

“Rex!” She said frantically, “Oh gods, Rex, are you okay?” She quickly began looking him over, running her hands over his face and shoulders unthinkingly, as he fell into her arms.

“Ahsoka...” he said wearily before passing out and falling to the ground.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here is the moment we’ve all been waiting for! Please enjoy, and be so kind as to let me know what you think!

Ahsoka felt like the small walls of the hut had collapsed around her, and she couldn’t breathe. For a moment, she feared the worst.

She bent down to hold Rex’s bruised face, her hands convulsing violently. She slid her hand across his jaw to the point on his neck, trying frantically to find his pulse, but her fingers were shaking too badly to be able to tell either way.

_ I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.  _ She thought.  _ I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. _

She felt a sense of calm wash over her entire body, rapidly regaining the composure of a Jedi.

Her fingers touched the pulse point on his neck once again, and this time she felt a pulse beating beneath the rough tips of her fingers, strong and fast.

As she had been so terrified for him, all her protocols had flown out the window, and she was left with only instincts and fear.

_ It’s not the Jedi way, _ she reflected ruefully. Not that she was a Jedi anymore, but she felt like the training had to be worth  _ something. _

With her renewed sense of order, she began to inspect him carefully, with the skill and detachment of a combat medic. She had to be detached, had to think it was somebody else or she wouldn’t be able to focus.

What Ahsoka saw next made her heart freeze in her chest. Blood. She noticed the sickening red color blotching his thin grey under armor. 

Deciding what needed to be done quickly, she scrambled to her feet and over to the table where the slight rations she’d made earlier in the evening sat abandoned. She frantically swiped them off the table with the back of her forearm and they clattered noisily onto the floor.

She then bent down toward Rex again and struggled as she picked him up and tried to drag him onto the table. She faltered under his weight and ended up falling to the floor, landing on her back. A groan escaped her before she pulled herself up again using the edge of her table.

She knew what she had to do. But she didn’t want to do it. _ One last time,  _ she thought, _ just for him. _

She closed her eyes, and she felt her slightly twitching hands still imperceptibly as she reached out into the air around him, and gently lifted his limp body onto the table with the Force.

Out of practice, she lost the strength quickly and he landed on the table with a thud. “Sorry, Rex.” She muttered before stepping to him, leaning over him.

She took a deep breath before using her sharp nails to cut a hole in his shirt, and then used her fingers to spread the hole further open before tearing the shirt completely. She gently smoothed the shirt off of his broad shoulders and cast her gaze down to his bruised stomach. She looked down at where the blood had been with surprise.

There was no wound.

The blood wasn’t his.

She was beyond relieved, but then another realization rocked her.

_ Whose was it? _

She knew that Rex would never hurt someone without  _ damn  _ good reason, as he had really not hurt anyone besides clankers and the occasional Seppie slaver before. Even when he faced down that monster Krell, Rex had later told Ahsoka that he wouldn’t have been able to kill him had Dogma not intervened.

As if sensing her frantic thoughts, Rex peeked one of his eyes open slightly, the small but powerful light of the ceiling lamp stinging him. He cast a hand over his face and groaned softly.

“Rex!” He heard Ahsoka exclaim distantly. He felt small hands come up to gently cradle his face. “Are you okay? Gods, what happened?” He couldn’t say he’d ever heard her that panicked before.

Outside of Order 66, of course. He suddenly wished he hadn’t remembered that.

He hauled himself up to sit with a sigh that quickly turned into a long groan of pain, clutching his stomach, laughing ruefully at the pain that exploded through his veins. The fight had seemed to sober him up, at least.

“Really makes me wish I had my armor.” He joked.

Ahsoka just stared. “Rex, are you okay? What happened?”

“I...I don’t really know.” Ahsoka got up, and he was for a moment highly disconcerted, thinking she was still angry at him, and was only making sure he was alive before leaving him.

After a moment, he realized she had only crossed the room to grab one of the small cots and slide it up against the table so she could look him eye to eye. She looked so tired.

She sat down roughly, gently tilting her head back and closing her eyes with a sigh, sinking into the cot for a moment before leaning back forward to meet his gaze.

He figured any answers were better than none about the situation, and that Ahsoka couldn’t possibly relax until he told her what had transpired. So he spoke again.

“He was a Mirialian, I remember that. I had been walking...” he trailed off slowly. He remembered stumbling, not walking, and he felt no small amount of shame. “...and he snuck up on me. He said he knew who I was, and who I was with. He knew both of our names. I tried to play it off like I didn’t know who he was talking about, but that didn’t exactly fly given my...face.” He laughed slightly at this. Ahsoka didn’t.

He cleared his throat. “Anyway, he said I was bound by Order 66, by  _ Imperial law _ ,” he said with a sneer, “...to report any Force users to the ISB. When I told him exactly where he could put his orders, he attacked.”

Ahsoka then slowly lifted her hand, gently stroking the side of his face, looking deeply into his eyes. He felt the heat spread through her fingers, seeming to clear up the pain of any area she touched. “I’m so sorry this happened.” A single tear fell down her cheek.

“It’s not your fault, ‘Soka.”

He said softly, his own hand coming up to gently lay across her lekku, to comfort her the best he knew how. It was incredible how she seemed to make his body act without even thinking.

“No, Rex, you don’t understand. They didn’t want you. They want me. I’m afraid for you, Rex.”

“It’s going to be okay. I kil-“ He cut himself off, not wanting to say the words. “He’s gone.”

Ahsoka froze.

“You  _ what _ ?” Ahsoka could hardly believe what she was hearing. “You...you _ killed _ him?”

Rex hesitated. “He won’t be coming back for you. Or me.”

_ He’s sure leaving out a lot of detail _ , she thought ruefully. Another thought came into her mind as she looked across the room where his Republic issue armor and blaster laid spilling out of his pack, and she was surprised she didn’t think about it immediately.

“Rex...no, no offense but,  _ how _ exactly did you kill him?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. It was all a blur. All I remember is that as soon as I could, I threw him off, circled back and was able to get the drop on him.”

She sighed. As far as explanations go, it wasn’t a great one. But she figured that Rex probably didn’t even know how he did it, either.

Suddenly their earlier conflict felt so petty. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, Rex. I was so angry at you, and for no reason, and I-“

He cut her off. “You had a reason, I’m sorry. I was out of line earlier. Way, out of line.”

She wanted to talk more about the attack, but she could tell Rex didn’t. So she decided to talk to him about the incident at the bar. “What happened?” She said gently, not accusing or angry, just concerned.

“I don’t know, ‘Soka. I really don’t, I just, when I saw him grab your lek, like you were just an object, I just...saw red, I guess.”

Ahsoka was a bit nonplussed, but nodded all the same. She’d never known him to speak so hesitantly. But then again, a lot had changed.

Rex exhaled a shaky breath, remembering how that little  _ chaavla _ had pulled on her. How much it had angered him, that she deserved to be treated with more respect.

She’d earned all the respect in the world, in his eyes.

Suddenly, a thought came into his mind. It was one he’d had a great many times since they had reunited, and he could either let it die unspoken as always, or let it free.

His thought was interrupted.

“I get it, Rex. Thank you. I couldn’t say I’d be thrilled if someone grabbed your...montrals.” She said awkwardly. “If you had any. Which you don’t, but if you did-“

He cut her off with a smile. “I get it, ‘Soka.”

She smiled back at him, but then her look turned more serious again. “You do know that I can handle myself, right Rex?”

“Oh, gods, of course, Ahsoka. Trust me, I know.” He said fondly, remembering the battalions worth of clankers she’d laid out over the years. “I just...reacted. It won’t happen again.”

“Good. Consider that an order.” She said, winking at him.

“Of course, General.” He joked.

“I’m no Jedi, Rex.” She smirked.

They were silent for a moment, simply looking at each other.

Ahsoka realized with more than a slight amount of embarrassment that her hand was still planted gently on the side of his face. Still, she couldn’t seem to bring herself to move it. Her eyes left his to scan over his bare chest, now marred with developing bruises.

“I’m so sorry this happened, Rex.”

“How many times do I have to tell you, Tano? It’s okay.” He said with a chiding smile. “I knew what I was getting into when we left together. It’s not your fault.”

He hadn’t actually known, but he would say anything to get her to feel better at this point.

“I should’ve been there. I should’ve protected you.”

_ Like you’ve always protected me _ , she thought distantly.

“I can take whatever the  _ Empire _ can dish out, that’s for sure.” He said derisively.

“Yeah...you can.” She smiled, feeling no small amount of pride for him, but the smile fell quickly. “But you shouldn’t have to.”

Her mind began to race as she decided what to say next. More than anything, she wanted to stay with him. But she couldn’t knowing she had caused him to get hurt. She just didn’t know how to phrase it.

Rex simply looked at her. And then, those thoughts returned. He wanted to tell her. And it was there, sitting battered on a flimsy table inside that pitiful hut they now called home, his face held in her gentle grasp, that he had made up his mind. Once and for all.

Ahsoka made him so unbelievably happy, somehow even after everything they’d been through. She had guided him, taken care of him, fought for him. It was about time he did the same. Order 66 had taken enough from him. It wasn’t taking Ahsoka, too.

This was it. There was no going back.

“You shouldn’t have to, Rex.” She repeated, thinking he hadn’t heard her.

He took a deep breath.

“I’d do anything for you.”

Ahsoka felt her heart rate increase at his simple, yet incredible words. She felt a warm feeling begin to settle in her stomach.  _ Did he feel the same way about her? Dare she even hope? _

“But why, Rex? You shouldn’t have to endure any more pain because of me.”

“Because I love you, Ahsoka.”

Her heart skipped a beat. And then a couple more.

_ Could I have possibly heard that right?  _ Ahsoka thought.

She felt her breath stop as it hitched in her throat. That warm feeling became fire all too quickly.

Not knowing at all what to say, more than ever, she simply stared at him, frozen in time. She slowly began to stroke the side of his face where her hand already was.

Rex felt her fingers warm across his cheek, her beautiful eyes looking deep into his. Hands shaking slightly, he gently grasped her face in between both of his hands, and began to lean in. She responded slowly, meeting him half way and pressing her lips to his.

Rex felt all the breath leave his body at the contact. He had dreamed about her, and many times it was just like this. However, even the amazing feelings in his dreams were nothing compared to this. As he felt her impossibly warm, soft lips moving over his, he felt a surge of desire course through his veins.

Ahsoka was breathless. She clutched at Rex’s broad shoulders, her body threatening to give out from the intense pleasure. She’d never known something could feel this good. This right. She then twined her small hands around the back of his neck, and pulled him even closer to her.

Ahsoka was surprised at how right it felt. She had been worried that even if she achieved her greatest desire with Rex, that it would be awkward, after all the time they’d known each other, and that he wouldn’t see her in that way. But that was not proving to be the case. Of course now, they were both older, more mature, and hadn’t seen each other in ages. She felt safe. Content. 

She was alive.

As if in unspoken agreement, they both changed the angles of their faces to deepen the kiss even further, Rex’s strong hands encircling her small waist. Their long, deep kiss gradually turned into quicker, shorter ones.

Rex felt his heart rate increase rapidly, and broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers, struggling to catch his breath. They smiled deliriously against each other, looking into each other’s eyes.

“You and I obviously have different definitions of pain.” Rex said with a laugh. His smile faded quickly, though. “Was that...okay?”

Ahsoka didn’t answer. Instead, she responded by gripping the strong muscles of his wide back to bring him back down to her lips.

He would take that as a yes.

Encouraged by her desire, Rex’s breathing quickened and he placed his hands along her back, pulling her flush against him. He felt her make a soft sound of pleasure that only served to excite him further. Not breaking the kiss, he gripped her back and gently eased her down onto the cot behind her.

Ahsoka gently settled in among the pillows, and the inner fire only heated further as she felt Rex’s strong body settle on top of hers. To her extreme disappointment, Rex broke the kiss again, breathing heavily, his hands placed on either side of her head, holding him up.

The view of him over her, breathing heavily, made her entire body quiver with desire.

“I’m sorry, I obviously got carried away.”

“It’s not as if I mind, Rex.” She said, smiling up at him, her small fingers tangling themselves up in his short blond hair.

He smiled back, rolling off her and settling in next to her. She gently nudged his arm, and he lifted it, obliging her so she could curl in and lay her head gently on his chest.

After a few minutes of listening to the steady breathing of his chest and the intoxicating warmth of his body against hers, she felt herself beginning to drift off to sleep.

For his part, Rex simply stared down at her. With her eyes closed, her hand gently placed over his heart, she looked so unbelievably peaceful. He felt himself being dragged ever closer to sleep, however. Thinking she was asleep, he stroked the top of her montrals gently a couple times before slowly removing his arm out from under her. He slowly extricated himself from Ahsoka’s grip, and sat upright on the cot.

He couldn’t believe it. That had actually happened. He’d been expecting himself to wake up any minute now. But this was no dream, and the revelation was overpowering, to say the least. She had chosen him. Him. The most powerful woman in the galaxy, in his opinion, had chosen him.

He found himself staring down at her peaceful form, and felt a fierce rush of affection for her. He didn’t deserve her.

Even after all that had happened between them that night, he didn’t want to cross too many boundaries all at once. So he stood up from her cot with a creak, and began to make his way over to his cot on the other side of the room.

“Rex?” He heard Ahsoka say so quietly, that if the hut hadn’t been dead silent, he never would’ve heard her.

“Yeah, ‘Soka?”

“Are you leaving?” She said in a small voice.

Ahsoka had felt an intense bout of fear when she had felt him stand up and leave the cot, afraid he was leaving her after all that had happened that night. That she was too much of a risk.

“Just going to sleep.” He hesitated before continuing. “I’ll never leave you.”

Ahsoka sat up, and passed a tired hand over her face. “You know, Rex, you could sleep over here, tonight. If you wanted to, that is. If you don’t want to you don’t-“ She stammered, gesturing back towards her cot.

Rex cut her off with a smile. “Okay.” He said simply.

Rex made his way back to her, and laid down gently next to her as she settled back into where she was previously on his chest. She smoothed her fingers over him absently, feeling the thick bands of muscle that ran under his chest.

For the first time in the last couple weeks, the last couple years in fact, she felt safe.

Beginning to drift off, she mumbled to Rex.

“I love you.”

He felt his chest tighten at the simple words. “I love you too. Goodnight...cyare.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Just a notice, I will try to update this story as frequently as possible. My tentative plan is to have one or two chapters posted once or twice a week. My biggest thanks to everyone keeping up with the story, and please be sure to comment and let me know what you think!
> 
> PS: Take note of the M rating.

Ahsoka awoke sharply from her peaceful slumber to the sound of loud knocking at the door. She bolted upright on the cot, and Rex was soon to follow, bumping her shoulder with his own slightly. He placed his hand on it gently afterward, as if in apology. The sunlight was blinding as it slid through the open window, and Ahsoka felt her eyes sting.

She quickly folded the blankets back and stepped barefoot onto the cold floor and shivered, wrapping a nearby shawl around her thin sleeping top, while Rex frantically threw on his GAR issued shirt over his bare chest. Ahsoka stepped cautiously over to the door, eyeing it suspiciously. They certainly weren’t expecting anyone.

She looked back at Rex, arching an eyebrow mark at him. He simply shook his head, seemingly as disconcerted as she was. He slid off the cot himself, in only his under armor blacks and made a line straight for where his blasters sat in the corner of the small room.

“Hey, it’s Gregor! Open up!”

_ Thank gods, _ Ahsoka thought with a sigh, and no small amount of embarrassment at her mind’s overreaction.

Rex exhaled loudly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment at his immediate reaction, as well. 

The past day’s threat  _ was  _ gone, after all.

She pulled open the door, and Gregor stepped inside quickly, holding a small basket of exotic, spiky fruit.

“Thought you guys might be hungry, but I still ate some on the way over!”

Ahsoka exhaled shakily, feeling her heart still pounding fiercely in her head, but she smiled at this. “Thank you, Gregor. That’s very kind.” She spoke, albeit a bit breathlessly.

Rex spoke up from the corner, now leaning against the wall with his arms crossed behind Ahsoka. “I feel like we’re taking advantage of your kindness. We don’t have many credits left, but-“

“Oh, it’s not a problem, buddy! It’s quite a lot of fun to have friends to talk to, for once! Even if you two should  _ technically  _ be my enemies, after all.” He said with a wink.

Rex smiled, but inside his mind Gregor had unintentionally reminded him just how precarious their situation with the new government of the galaxy was. “Okay, if you say so.” He said, running a hand through his short hair. “In that case, I was wondering if we might be able to stay in here for a bit longer, until we can find another place.”

“Of course! It’s the least I can do. The place isn’t exactly Canto Bight, so I don’t even feel like I’m doing you two a favor!”

“You are, Gregor. More than you know.” Ahsoka spoke softly.

After a few minutes of mindless chat, Gregor had left as quickly, and as unexpectedly, as he had come. They just stood there, still reeling slightly from being startled so badly.

“Hey, Ahsoka?” Rex questioned, a few minutes later.

She turned to him and cocked her head to the side.

“Did I hear you get up last night?”

Ahsoka nodded. “Yeah. But it wasn’t you.” She said, feeling his trepidation.

“I was checking my holo, trying to see news from the Repub- the Empire.” She continued, a slight tremor in her voice. “They’ve got everything locked down. But I tapped into a locked down source, from a Senate group resisting the Empire. I found it through my contact with Senator Organa.”

“Who was that?”

“I didn’t know the name,” she replied, “...but it was from someone named Kestis, or something like that.” Rex nodded. The name didn’t mean anything to him, either.

“He had said something about...” She trailed off.

“About what?”

“About Force users.  _ Vader _ ....” She spoke bitterly, eyes filling slightly with tears. Rex placed his hand gently on her shoulder, urging her silently to continue. “...has assembled what he calls Inquisitors. They are tasked to find Force users, and...”

He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. He knew what she meant.

“Anyway, I think that’s who attacked you. He was looking for me.”

Rex felt a chill run up his spine, even though he knew she’d known that about the attacker already. But they both felt it somehow even more terrifying knowing the man was part of an organized effort.

Ahsoka choked. “I can’t...I don’t know if we should split up, to keep you safe, or stay together, but I just-”

“Ahsoka.” He spoke calmly, moving his hands up to hold her face.

She knew what he was going to say. She jerked her face from his hands gently. “No, Rex! They are trained to  _ kill _ , and I couldn’t let anything happen to you. You’re in danger.”

“What’s new?” He said wryly.

“Rex, I-“

“Ahsoka.” He said more firmly. “I am  _ not  _ leaving. I’m sorry. I won’t do it. We’ll find someplace safe.”

“But where, Rex? Maybe the Outer Rim won’t be in their grasp yet, and they might not be able to track us, but even then-“

“I’m  _ not  _ leaving you. Maybe I’m being selfish, but I  _ can’t  _ lose you. I’m in this for good. Consider the matter settled.” He said earnestly.

He spoke again softly.

“Together to the end, okay?”

Ahsoka thought for a moment. Deep down, selfishly, she wanted to stay with him. More than anything. So much so, that she was immensely relieved to hear the conviction in his voice.

Feeling a new hope, she knew Rex was by her side for better or worse, whether she wanted him or not. Which she absolutely did. “Okay.” She sighed. “If you’re sure.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” He said resolutely.

She felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Her mind lapsed back into optimism, her natural state. She was beginning to feel like herself again.

“We’re going to make it, Rex. We’ve made it this far, after all.” She spoke.“Besides, I don’t think either of us are the type to back down from a fight.” She added with a smirk.

“That we aren’t.” He replied.

He wondered internally, however, if that was still true for him. If he could ever fight again. Deep down, past all his conditioning, he felt a faraway thought, dim in the back of his mind.

_ I don’t want to fight anymore. I can’t. _

He’d lost too much from fighting. In the past week, he’d realized what his life could be like without a war. Without a purpose.

The thought of living without a purpose even a week ago would’ve terrified him, and triggered a crisis of conscience to to the very core of his being. But now, he realized that his only purpose, and that of his late brothers, had been to be used. Abused. Discarded. Abandoned.

_ Betrayed _ , he thought angrily, the harsh words pouring down on his mind like a stinging rain. He felt his fists clench, olive knuckles turning a bright white. _ Left behind. Stolen from. _

_ Lied to. _

He began to shake slightly with anger, and his breathing became shallow and harsh.

Ahsoka noticed this quickly. “Rex?”

At the sound of her soft, concerned voice, he was rescued from inside his mind.

“I’m fine. I’m sorry.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t...what if I...”

He was about to tell her. He felt safe with her. Like he was more than a clone.

But then his soldier’s sense of honor got the better of him. Besides, he felt a strong woman like Ahsoka would never keep the company of a coward.

“Nothing.” He breathed, with a slight, relenting smile.

“You don’t want to fight.”

He was in shock. _ How did she _ always _ know? _

“Neither do I, Rex. We deserve this much. From now on, we fight for each other.”

He could’ve cried right then. He  _ wasn’t  _ a coward. He’d just been fighting for the wrong cause his whole life. He could fight for what  _ he  _ wanted now.

And he wanted Ahsoka.

Rex lifted his hands suddenly and drew her face harshly to his, his lips crashing against hers. Encouraged by his sudden boldness, Ahsoka responded in kind. She felt her heart rate increase as they both intensified the kiss, and she felt all of her senses heighten to become even more acute, feeling like she was already on the edge. He ran his rough hands up and down her sides, holding her flush against him.

  
  


“Rex,” she sighed softly, breaking apart from his grasp.

She continued. “I want you.”

He felt a surge of desire course through his veins. He never dreamed, after they had reunited on Mandalore as two different people, that he would ever experience this moment.

  
  


“I’ve never,” he spoke breathlessly, slightly embarrassed, before he continued. “I’ve never had-“

Ahsoka knew exactly what he was talking about, although she was a bit surprised. A clone as handsome as Rex had surely had propositions. “Rex.” She interrupted, her lust blown eyes making contact with his. “Neither have I. We’re doing this together.”

“Okay.” He sighed, the want beginning to overwhelm his mind, as he hesitantly reached out to her waist to pull her close once again. “Just...just let me know if I, you know, do something you don’t like.”

She simply smiled softly, stroking his face gently. “I trust you.”

Everyone always got caught up on those other three words, but coming from Ahsoka, this meant  _ everything _ .

He crashed his lips to hers once again. She moaned softly into his mouth, and he felt his heart rate increase rapidly beyond his control.

Rex slowly moved to lay her gently down on the cot, not breaking the kiss. His lips left hers as he removed his shirt before crawling on top of her and settling between her legs. Ahsoka was briefly disappointed at the loss of contact, and grabbed his shoulders forcefully to pull him back down to her. He left her lips to move his mouth to the side of her, kissing his way up her neck to her ear, leaving a trail of flames in his wake. 

“I have no idea what I’m doing.” He whispered with a deep, husky chuckle. Ahsoka now felt like her whole body was on fire.

“If that is true, you sure know how to improvis-“ She stopped speaking and gasped as she felt the evidence of his desire pressing against her thigh.

He sat up on his knees between her legs, and she followed, sitting up herself and pulling off her shirt before tugging fitfully at his bottom blacks. Rex responded in kind by grabbing her legs and gently stretching them to take off her leggings, both of their breaths beginning to come even faster, both of them following pure instinct.

Ahsoka slid her underwear down her legs and kicked them onto the floor. Afterward, she finally succeeded in removing his bottom blacks, and felt him shift to take off the final piece of clothing separating them.

She made eye contact with him hovering over her, and felt her breathing become shaky and shallow.

At the sight of her below him, Rex felt all of his self control melt away.

“Ahsoka,” he said with a tremor, “I-”.

She simply brought her hand up to massage the back of his neck, before then using it to bring his lips back down to hers. She felt the harsh breath from his nose flit across her face, and she felt a surge of desire course through her. Rex broke the kiss, his head falling limply into the space between her neck and shoulder. Ahsoka made a final decision. She knew she wanted him, and no one else. Wrapping her legs securely around his waist, she slowly urged his hips forward until he slid inside her.

She gasped at the pressure, the intense pleasure verging on pain. “Rex.” She said tentatively. He lifted his head from the crook of her neck to meet her gaze, his entire body tense.

“Is it...” he shivered before he could finish. “Does it hurt?” He spoke softly, stroking her face with his thumb.

“No, Rex, please don’t stop.”

He looked into her eyes before moving deeper experimentally. She moaned again, and he went even further, establishing a gentle pace.

“Gods, cyar’ika.” Rex groaned into the side of her lek, hiking her leg up and deepening his increasingly erratic movements, picking up speed, his self control rapidly deteriorating. He felt like he was going to fall apart. With a small amount of shame, he felt himself already nearing the finish.

“Rex,” she moaned softly.

“Ahsoka,” he echoed while moving inside her even faster, only fueling her desire further.

At the sound of her name on his lips, she came undone. Ahsoka shuddered and cried out as she felt wave after wave of pleasure wash over her. She’d never felt  _ anything  _ like this. She wanted him closer, wanted desperately to become part of him.

She gasped his name and clutched at his shoulders as he held her through it, her entire body trembling as the end drew near for himself as well.

“I love you, cyare.” He spoke, groaning softly as he finished, his body shaking above her as an intense pleasure he didn’t even know he was capable of feeling enveloped him.

As their mutual, harsh breathing quieted, he leaned his head forward to press it to her forehead, before kissing it gently.

“I love you, Rex.” She said softly as he left her body and slid down onto the cot next to her, wrapping his arm around her slim body.

They laid silently for a while, coming down from the high. Rex stroked her lekku softly as she ran her fingers over his bare chest.

As he moved to run his fingers along her spine, he felt the tension he’d been carrying since the Order slowly fade away. All the pain, the death, was beginning to feel more dull. He felt himself breath freely for the first time, as if expelling the memories with every breath.

Maybe there  _ was  _ life after death.

Suddenly Ahsoka spoke.

“We should leave. I thought of a place in the Outer Rim, in the Corva sector.”

He took a long, satisfied breath, still skimming his hand along her back, before speaking. “That’s not a nice place.” He sighed. “Isn’t that skug hole still ruled by the Pykes?”

“Not anymore...” She said.

“Wow,” Rex replied. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

“...I think the Hutts have it now.”

Rex laughed at this.

“That’s not exactly better, cyare.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, “...but it should be small enough to keep us from the Empire’s reach, and big enough to be able to make something for ourselves. Plus, I’ve dealt with the Hutts. Remember Rotta?” She said, moving her head from his chest to his shoulder and gazing up at him endearingly.

He laughed, causing her head to shake slightly. Unfortunately, he did.

“Okay. I trust you. We’ll make for the Outer Rim tomorrow. I’ll retrieve the ship at first light.”

She nodded, smiling at him, before returning her head to his chest.

“I’m starving.” Ahsoka said after a small eternity had passed.

“I don’t blame you. Let me see what we have.”

He crawled out of the cot they now shared, quickly pulling on his clothes from the pile on the floor. Ahsoka simply stretched out into the newly freed space on the cot. She looked up, and found Rex staring at her, love shining in his eyes.

She blushed, pulling the blanket up to cover herself, slightly embarrassed yet elated at the same time. It felt good to be wanted.

“Get to it!” She said chidingly.

He laughed, and walked towards the small hole they called the kitchen. Ahsoka sat up from the cot, and leaned down to gather her clothes in her arms, taking her time putting them on.

After she finished, she swung her legs around the side of the bed, before dramatically groaning as she pulled herself up to stand.

“You alright, Tano?” He asked jokingly. She padded over to where he stood and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

“Mmm,” she purred softly into his ear before biting it gently. “...it’s almost as if someone really took it out of me.” He shivered slightly at sensation, feeling no small amount of pride. She chuckled softly at his reaction before sitting down at the table.

He paced for a moment, thinking of what they had to eat before settling on the fruit Gregor had brought them.

Rex chopped up the large, spiky fruit quickly, cursing as one of the spikes caught him under his nail. Finally, after no small fight, he finished and quickly distributed the cut fruit into two wooden bowls, setting one down in front of Ahsoka.

He sat down again beside the rickety table somewhat across from Ahsoka, but still very close. They ate and talked about nothing in particular, still coming down from the high.

Ahsoka wiped the corners of her mouth gingerly before setting her now empty bowl back on the table.

“That was delicious, Rex.”

“Thank you. I made it myself, you know. Took a lot of skill.” He said with a smirk.

She smiled back at him.

“So, tomorrow, we’ll be ready.” She spoke, changing the subject.

He nodded in agreement.

“I love you, Rex.”

He felt her words settle deeply into the core of his being.

“I love you, cyar’ika.”

She smiled softly at him.

Suddenly, they were jolted from their revelry by a sudden knocking at the door.

This time, Ahsoka sighed ruefully, cursing inwardly at the ruined moment, and strode over to open the door without a second thought, knowing that it was just Gregor again.

And that’s how the Inquisitor got the drop on them.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here is the latest chapter!
> 
> Enjoy, and please leave a comment to let me know what you think!

Rex felt all the air leave his body at the sight of a towering Utapuan man, and a terrifyingly familiar red blade. 

His mind was immediately thrust into immense panic. Out of this, though, he had one surprisingly lucid thought. 

_ I have to save her.  _

“Ahsoka, run!” Rex shouted.

Before she could even follow Rex’s words, the Inquisitor grabbed the air around where Ahsoka had stood on the threshold, lifting her off the floor into a Force choke. Ahsoka’s feet kicked wildly as her hands grasped feebly at her neck. He strode into the small hut, which looked somehow even smaller outlined around his large body. The Utapuan held Ahsoka firmly in the air before Force-pushing her roughly into the wall, a painting ripping from the wall and shattering into pieces on the floor from the weight of the blow. 

At the sight of this, Rex rushed over to where his blasters stood, neatly stacked on top of his armor. He grabbed them both, and lifted them toward the man. He fired relentlessly at him, alternating shots between his blasters. The Inquisitor released Ahsoka, and she fell to the floor with a gasp. He ignited his saber and turned it toward Rex, deftly blocking every shot he fired. Rex then saw the Inquisitor angle the end of his saber toward him, and then his hand came up, and began to form the air around him. Rex dimly realized that he was going to drag him into the end of his saber. He started to scramble back, before lifting his blasters to aim at him again. This was futile, however, and the Inquisitor turned his hand sharply to send Rex flying toward him. He dropped his blasters in shock, coming closer and closer to the end of the blade. He was so close, he could feel the warmth of the red light.

That was when he fell to the floor. Looking up from where his body had crumpled to the ground, Rex watched as Ahsoka reached into the Force around the Inquisitor and threw him forcefully through the air. His body collided with the flimsy door, tearing it violently from its hinges as he sailed through the air, hitting the wall of the buildings on the other side of the street with a dull crash. 

“Rex!” Ahsoka said, out of breath, “We have to get out of here.” 

Rex couldn’t have agreed more. He rushed to the side of the room, collecting his Republic armor and throwing it on haplessly. He set his helmet on top of his head, securing it with a click before turning to Ahsoka.

_ I’m gonna need all the help I can get, _ he thought dimly.

After he finished equipping in record time, he felt her grab his forearm and pull him out of the open door roughly and into the street. Out of the corner of his eye, Rex saw the Inquisitor shake his head in pain before leaping deftly to his feet, beginning to chase them.

Ahsoka noticed this quickly, turning on her heel to face him and she reached out into the Force, holding him back. Rex could see her slight, slender arms shaking with the struggle. The Inquisitor stood in place, however, using the Force to cast the energy back towards Ahsoka. They were at a standstill. Now was his chance.

Through the mechanics of his helmet, he looked sharply at the Inquisitor, aiming expertly before beginning to fire shot after shot at him. Dimly, Rex wondered where all the people in town were. They were all alone.

Abruptly, Ahsoka fell backward, landing roughly on the ground due to the Force of the Inquisitor letting the energy go. He turned inexorably towards Rex, lifting him off the ground and sending him flying toward the end of the street.

“No!” He heard Ahsoka scream faintly as the wind rushed past his ears, underneath his helmet. He reached out to her feebly before colliding with the side of a building. He felt a blinding pain run up his back before everything went dark.

Ahsoka ran towards Rex in horror. 

“REX!” She shouted, the pain of the scream ripping through her throat. “No!” She shouted again as she felt her body being drawn backward towards Inquisitor. 

She turned towards him, and purposely sped up until she collided with him, deftly dodging his saber. She landed a couple powerful blows to his chest, and then to his legs, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. She rushed over to where he laid, breathing heavily, and extended her hand to attempt to grab his saber with the Force. He placed his knees under him however, and forcefully jumped back up from the dirt, his body twisting as he did so.

There was no way she was getting the lightsaber. Instead, she turned towards where Rex laid limply at the end of the road, and lifted his blaster off the ground with the Force, keeping an eye on both it and the Inquisitor, reaching out to grasp it as it sailed through the air. She felt herself growing weaker and weaker with the immense physical toll the Inquisitor was extracting.

The blaster was inches from her fingers, so close that she could feel its cool metal, when it suddenly changed angles and flew towards the Inquisitor. He made contact with it, and quickly sliced in two through the air in front of him. She was defenseless. She needed a lightsaber.

He then grasped the area around her, lifting her off the ground once more before he threw her against the dirt forcefully, all the air leaving her body, her leggings ripping slightly as she made contact with the rough ground, before coming to a crushing stop beside a lamp post. She attempted to use what little strength she had left, using the post as leverage to try to lift herself up.

But it was too late. The Inquisitor walked over to her, before coming to a stop just in front of her.

“Ahsoka Tano. If I’m being honest, you put up more of a fight than I thought capable of you. I see now why Vader wants you gone.” He spoke in a horrible, gravelly tone.

She drew out a shaky breath, looking at him. She brought her hand up once more, clenching her entire body, attempting to use the Force to send him flying backwards. But he was too strong. The Inquisitor held out his own hand to stop her attempt.

“It’s a shame, really. Such a waste.” He said cruelly, before bringing his lightsaber towards her.

Ahsoka looked up from her place against the lamp post, the metal cool and oppressive against her warm skin. As the Inquisitor towered over her, she brought her forearm up feebly to cover the blow she knew was coming. She knew it was futile to resist any longer. This was all the fight she had left. 

She felt a slight tingling sensation, a sense of calm wash over her. She was at peace, almost as if she was leaving her body and watching her inevitable death from someone else’s eyes. All time began to slow, as she observed her last moments, frame by frame. Tears in her eyes, she looked over Rex, his back slumped unconsciously against the brick wall of a building. She closed her eyes, thinking of him, and waited for the inevitable. 

In the back of her mind, she heard the sound of rapid footsteps and another lightsaber activating. She opened her eyes, squinting toward the source of the sound. A thin form covered in a hood, accompanied by a pair of red lightsabers, stood starkly against the grim backdrop of the empty street. He had backup. 

Ahsoka had one last, surprisingly lucid, thought.

_ This is it. _

Ahsoka closed her eyes once more, preparing herself for the contact. Suddenly though, she heard the all-too-familiar, almost haunting sound of two lightsabers hitting each other. For only the briefest of moments, she was transported to another time in her life, and she thought Anakin had returned to save her and Rex.

But she knew it wasn’t him. It would never be him again.

She forced herself to tear her eyes open, lifting her gaze to the Inquisitor above her. But the Utapaun was gone. She looked around confused, and only saw a blur of red moving rapidly, leaving remnant streaks in the air. The other lightsaber wielder was  _ fighting _ the Inquisitor. 

She felt like she was watching the scene through warped glass. The tall, thin form expertly dodged and blocked the Inquisitor’s swings, with all the skill and grace of a Jedi. But the red lightsabers only served to make the situation more puzzling. She saw the Inquisitor swipe his foot sharply under the figure, and they fell to the ground. The Utaupaun brought his double sided saber up over his head, with the intention of ending the mysterious person’s, her protector’s, life. Ahsoka attempted to haul herself up and help them, but her vision blurred.

Instead of the dreaded sound she was expecting, she heard a rough thud, and opened her eyes to see the figure had kicked the Inquisitor onto the ground, and they held their two sabers in a firm V-shape across his neck. She heard the person speak, but her mind was too foggy to draw words from the noise. Her head was pounding. Listlessly, she saw the Inquisitor slide out from under the person’s hold, and stand up, stumbling slightly. She watched as he activated his saber once again and used it to flee, flying up the side of the building and into the distance, the orange sky now a mess of red light.

_ I didn’t know they could do that _ , she thought dimly.

Ahsoka watched from the ground as the figure flicked off their red sabers, dusted off their long robes, and strode over to where Ahsoka laid limply against the streetlamp. The person bent down to her level, looking her in the eyes. She had no idea who it was. 

The figure spoke to her, but again, she gained no words. The voice was female, however. The woman simply looked like a mess of shapes trying to speak. Ahsoka shook her head weakly, and her foggy features slowly swam together in Ahsoka’s view, and she became rooted to the ground in shock. She  _ knew _ this woman.

Ahsoka spoke softly, astounded. 

“...Ventress?”

“Hey, Ahsoka.” 

Ahsoka was in shock. She had no idea what to say.

“You got old.” Ventress spoke again with a small laugh. Ahsoka simply blinked at her. 

Ventress turned on her heel, and just as quickly as she appeared, she began to walk away.

Ahsoka shook herself, and brought herself unsteadily to her feet before regaining her balance and stumbling after Ventress. She had a million thoughts and questions running through her head. 

_ Why was she on Abafar? How did she get here? Why did she help her? How did she know where they were?  _

And then she had another thought, feeling all the breath leave her body. 

_ Rex _ .

She ran desperately over to him, passing Ventress’s pace as she had been walking away. She found him was slumped against the wall of the buildings lining the street. Ahsoka skidded towards him, falling to her knees in front of him, feeling the rough dirt scratch her skin through her torn left legging. She leaned forward to remove his helmet. 

Ahsoka felt an immense relief wash over her as his eyes opened and made contact with hers. His expression was one of panic, and he looked around in fear for any sign of the Inquisitor, hand searching the ground frantically for his blaster. She then saw his face calm, and his hand cease, as he realized the man was gone.

His gaze then drifted to land on Ventress, standing with arms crossed behind Ahsoka, observing the proceedings. His expression morphed from one of fear into one of bewilderment. He blinked slowly once, then twice.

Rex looked back towards Ahsoka, and leaned in towards her. “Are you…” he whispered softly, “...are you seeing Ventress too?” He spoke, pointing a finger in her direction conspiratorially. Ahsoka let out a small, rueful laugh at this. He was so utterly confused. 

“Yes,” she said with a kind smile. “She saved us.” Rex saw Ventress roll her eyes behind Ahsoka. 

“Thank gods. I thought I hit my head too hard.” He spoke, rubbing the back of his head before placing his hands on the ground and stepping onto his feet with a groan. Suddenly, his body went rigid as it hit him. 

_ Ventress _ . 

Ahsoka saw a searching expression cross his features, knowing that he had the same questions as her. “W-Why?” was all he said. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Ventress said, before stepping forward again with a sigh and walking away. Ahsoka and Rex exchanged confused glances before running after her. 

“Hey, Ventress, wait!” Ahsoka called out, stopping her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “How did you know we were here?”

“I didn’t.” She responded with a frustrated huff.

“Why did you help us?” Rex asked from the other side of her.

“I didn’t  _ mean _ to help you. That Inquisitor has been tracking me for days now. So I followed him to try to get the drop on him. I was able to sneak up on him, so I took the opportunity.” She said with a shrug, as if this explained everything.

“But  _ why _ ?” Ahsoka responded.

“Why  _ what _ ? Why did I attack him? For the same reason you did, Tano.” She spoke in frustration, stopping her walk and turning towards them.

“You think you’re the only Force user on Vader’s hit list?”

Ahsoka was confused. She thought, given Asajj’s previous alliances, that she would be loyal to the Empire. “But…”

“ _ But _ nothing. The Emperor isn’t  _ just _ after the Jedi. He’s after  _ everyone _ , Ahsoka.” She spoke, looking her in the eyes. “And, I don’t really  _ want _ to die! So, I went after the Inquisitor. I didn’t realize you were hiding out here, too. And now we have a problem. So since you two were here first, I’ll be moving on now, thanks.” She said, before turning again and walking away. 

Ventress called out again, over her shoulder. “Just because I helped you doesn’t mean you’ll be safe for long. I suggest you two,” she said, while turning to face them and walking backwards, gesturing two fingers between them, “...move on from here, too.” 

“Okay,” was all Rex could really say. He was still in shock at the Sith apprentice who had suddenly become their... _ ally _ ? So many things had changed since the Order, and everything that had previously been now meant nothing. “I- thank you.”

Ahsoka stopped walking after her, placing a hand on Rex’s shoulder to stop him as well. “Ventress, why did you try to stop him?” she called out after her.

Ventress spoke out again over her shoulder, still walking down the street as she drew further and further from them. “I’ve always had a soft spot for you, Tano. I couldn’t let you go out like that.” And within seconds, she was gone.

\-------------------------------

As Rex and Ahsoka walked back along the street and the small hut came back into view, they saw Gregor standing outside it, a look of worry painting his features. He looked up sharply, likely at the sound of their steps, and saw them approaching. 

“Thank  _ gods _ !” He exclaimed as he ran towards them, barreling into them and gathering them both into a crushing hug. “I was walking back from the bar, and I-” Gregor’s voice trailed off as Rex thought dimly,  _ it’s only noon _ . 

“I saw the door had been kicked in, and you two were gone, and I thought the Empire got you, and I looked all over, and-”

“Gregor,” Ahsoka spoke gently, cutting him off, “We’re okay. Thank you.” She said with a slight smile.

“You two don’t look too torn up. But what happened?”

Rex simply sighed, and in doing so felt his side scream in pain. “It doesn’t matter. We’re okay.” He cast his gaze towards the now broken, splintered door. “Sorry about that,” he said, gesturing towards it.

“Don’t worry, I have a million of them!” Gregor exclaimed. Rex wondered if Gregor really  _ did _ have a lot of replacement doors, as if this was a frequent event. He chuckled slightly at the thought. It was certainly in character.

“I think we’re going to get cleaned up, Gregor. Thank you for checking on us.” Ahsoka spoke softly, heading into the hut with her head down. Rex stayed behind, and found Gregor looking rapidly between him and Ahsoka’s receding form in worry. “It’s alright.” He said with a hand gripping his shoulder, looking him in the eye. “Don’t worry.” He said, shaking his shoulder slightly. Gregor nodded, obviously not satisfied, but he still turned and walked back toward the main street.

Rex entered the hut, and found Ahsoka sitting at the table with her head in her hands, crying softly. He felt his heart twist for her. He walked over to her quickly.

“It’s okay, Ahsoka.” He said soothingly, stroking the top of her montrals as he reached her. “You couldn’t have known anyone would find us here. Besides, we’re leaving today, anyway. We’ll throw him off. Besides, he’s busy looking for Ventress, too.”

She continued to cry softly, deliberately averting his gaze. 

“I can get the ship ready. We can leave now. We  _ should _ leave now.” Rex spoke, still stroking her lek.

“No!” Ahsoka exclaimed sharply, causing him to recoil slightly. Noticing this, she tempered her reaction. “No,” she said, softer this time. “Don’t go get the ship alone. We’ll do it together, tomorrow. If he saw a ship taking off today, he might know it's us, and follow. We can leave with the next trade shipment tomorrow, and blend in.” 

Rex nodded. He figured it would be just as safe, if not more so, to leave now and hopefully be able to outrun him. But he didn’t question her.

“But,” she continued, “...we can’t stay here. We need to find a place to hide out.”

Rex nodded again. With that, he began to strip off his clone armor, leaving him in his blacks, and tied his shawl around him, assuming his “disguise”. He didn’t know how much it really helped now, though.

Ahsoka walked over to the broken door, and began to reset the hinges and set them back into the door using her hands. It wasn’t as broken as she thought, and she didn’t want to leave Gregor’s hut he’d so generously offered them in disarray. 

While she did this, Rex paced around the cabin, getting their few supplies back together and cleaning up the shattered glass that covered the floor.

After they had finished, they stepped out of the hut into the bright sunlight, and made their way back to the main road. They were able to find a small, abandoned house at the very edge of town. 

“This will do.” Ahsoka said, speaking softly as she approached the house, its door hanging slightly ajar.

She stepped inside, and took in her surroundings with muted interest. The house was slightly but tastefully decorated, with a cot, a small couch, a clock, and a couple paintings. The more she looked around, however, she noticed it looked  _ very _ recently abandoned. In fact, there was a small child’s doll lying forgotten on the floor, free from dust. She began to wonder when and  _ why _ the previous residents had left.

Rex, for his part, set their packs down in the corner of the room, removing the blankets from them and laying them gently over the cot. 

Ahsoka continued to wander, finding, among other things, a small desk complete with paper and pencils, and a small crate for a pet. 

As the daylight drained quickly from the orange sky of Abafar, they spent the remainder of the day talking about nothing in particular. However, Rex noticed Ahsoka seemed distant, distracted. He wondered if seeing Ventress had reminded her of Anakin. His heart broke for her.

“It’ll be tough saying goodbye to Gregor.” He spoke, attempting to get her involved in the conversation. 

“Yeah. It will be.” She replied absently, fiddling with the small doll she had found on the ground.

Rex just nodded.

Ahsoka was deep in thought. Rex stood up to change out of his old clothes and into a new set of blacks, and as Ahsoka cast her gaze over to him, she noticed a bruise beginning to form in the planes of his lower back. Other than that though, he was unhurt. She felt the steady ache in her own side as she looked at his bruise. They both got away, miraculously only with scrapes and bruises. 

Dimly, Ahsoka wondered what would’ve happened if Ventress hadn’t shown up. She began to question her decision to leave her sabers, to throw Vader off their trail. He seemed to have found them anyway.

And next time, it could be much worse. She looked at Rex, now sitting at the desk and flipping through a book he’d found, running his fingers gently over the words.

She couldn’t let it be worse. There couldn’t be a next time for him. And there would be as long as she was with him.

She had to leave.

As night began to fall over the rural planet, they crawled into the small but comfortable cot, feeling themselves sink into it.

Ahsoka curled up into her usual spot against his side, running her fingers distractedly through his slightly grown out blond hair. He rolled over on his side to look into her eyes, and leaned in to kiss her softly. As Rex slowly came up to roll on top of her, she simply surrendered herself to his comforting touch. 

“Is this okay?” He asked softly. Ahsoka nodded, smiling up at him. He brought his lips down to hers and began to shift to gently slide her leggings off her legs. Suddenly, decidedly at odds with her previous headspace, she began to laugh. Rex looked down at her questioningly, and she only laughed harder, her body beginning to shake.

Rex moved off of her. “Is...is everything okay?”

She sat up, still laughing slightly. 

_ He probably thinks I’m laughing at him _ , she thought guiltily.

“Yeah,” she said, wiping a faint tear of laughter from the corner of her blue eyes. “Yeah, it is, I just can’t help thinking about how...quick it was for me, last time.” Suddenly, she felt very foolish. She was trying to distract herself from thinking about the inevitable. How this would be their last night together.

Rex smiled at this, relieved, before chuckling slightly himself. “Well, you weren’t exactly the only one. I was worried you wouldn’t want to keep…” he said making a shrugging gesture, “...you know.”

Ahsoka smiled at this. “You underestimate yourself, Rex.” She said with a wink. “Besides, you can’t exactly blame me, you’re the only other person I’ve  _ kissed _ , much less...”

Rex cocked his head curiously at her. “Who was the other person?”

Suddenly, she dimly hoped he wasn’t getting jealous. Ahsoka winced. 

_ Why am I still talking? _ She thought.

“Lux.”

Rex just blinked at her. “Who is Lux?”

“Lux Bonteri? From Onderon?”

Rex laughed out loud at this. “That pretty boy Seppie kid?  _ Seriously _ , Ahsoka? You’re better than that.” 

“Hey!” Ahsoka said playfully, swatting him on the arm. “Lack of options!” Rex laughed again at this.

She felt a bit of the stress and sadness expel with her forced laughter as the realization finally sunk in, planting itself firmly into her mind. This  _ was _ goodbye for them. 

She wanted to make this good for him.

“Besides, he’s got nothing on you.” She said playfully, but with a slight thickness in her voice. 

Rex felt like she was holding back. He didn’t know why, exactly. 

Ahsoka seemed different tonight. Seemingly not just because of the Inquisitor. But he simply gave her a smile, and leaned in to kiss her once again. 

_ Maybe she’s just tired, _ he thought, moving his lips over hers.  _ I’ll just ask her about it tomorrow. _

He picked up where he had left off with her leggings, pulling them all the way down her sienna legs and letting them fall gently to the floor. 

\------------------------------

After they had finished, Ahsoka laid awake on her back, gazing at the ceiling. Rex made a small sound in his sleep, before reaching out to put his arm around her waist and pull her closer. She curled up against him, her bare skin touching his. The calm environment of the night was decidedly at odds with the thoughts racing violently through her mind. 

She knew, deep down, that Rex would make any sacrifice for her. 

She owed him the same.

Sliding out from between his arms, she saw him stir and turn over to his other side, deeply asleep. She then bent down, collecting her clothes in her arms. She tugged her shirt on as quietly as possible, and then looked down at her torn leggings. The piece of fabric covering the knee was gone, and the cuffs of the ankles had been all but ripped off. She stuck her fingers absently through the holes, rethinking her decision for the hundredth time is as many minutes.

_ I have to,  _ she concluded. _ It’s the only way he’ll be safe. _

She stepped into her leggings, pulling them up securely around her hips, the cool fabric at odds with her warm skin, and padded softly over to the small desk she’d found.

Ahsoka sunk down bonelessly in the chair, feeling the exhaustion of the day acutely. She picked up a pencil, gripping it tightly, and began to write. 

  
  


_ Rex, _

_ I left you with the Y wing and all the supplies. Please take them and leave Abafar as soon as possible. _

_ Tell Gregor I say goodbye, and that it was an honor to know him. _

_ I’m so sorry, my love. I can’t live another day knowing you’re in danger. The Empire is after me, Rex. I can no longer in good conscience stay by your side as you have stayed by mine. I have been selfish, fooling myself into thinking I could protect us, because I couldn’t bear the thought of letting you go.  _

_ But I was wrong. Finally, I realize what I must do. _

_ Please, do me one last favor. I don’t deserve it. But I will ask anyway.  _

_ Survive. _

_ Remember me. Remember that I will always love you. And please, be at peace. _

_ May the Force be with you, cyare. _

_ Ahsoka _

  
  


\-------------------------

“Hey!”

Ahsoka watched as Ventress turned in the direction of her voice.

Ahsoka had finally found her, after hours of searching the small town in the middle of the night. Asajj had been wandering in a dimly lit alley off the main street of town. Ahsoka ran towards her, catching up quickly and matching her pace beside her.

Ventress sighed, but kept continuing down the road, looking at Ahsoka over her shoulder.

“Listen, girl, I didn’t do it for you. You can let it go.”

“I know, Ventress.” Ahsoka said in a gasp, catching her breath. “But I wanted to thank you.”

“No thanks necessary. It’s like I said, I haven’t saved you two for long.”

“Where are you going?” 

“Anywhere safe. Why?”

“Do you have a ship?”

“How do you think I got here?” Ahsoka nodded.

“I need to ask a favor. Can I come with you?”

“What makes you think I’d agree to that? I like you, Tano, but I’m on my own. Safer that way.”

“I just...I need to get off this planet. You can drop me wherever you want. Please.”

“Even if I wanted to, I don’t have enough room for you  _ and _ the clone.”

Ahsoka sighed, feeling her heart breaking. “That won't be a problem.”

Ventress stopped walking at this, and turned towards Ahsoka, arching a brow. “Ah, I see. The clone not good enough backup for you? Well, I could’ve told you that much.”

Ahsoka felt herself fill with rage at Ventress’s insinuation. “His  _ name _ is  _ Rex _ , and he’s the most skilled fighter I’ve ever known. I would choose him in a battle, a million times over.” She exclaimed in indignation.

Ventress just laughed, throwing her hands up in defeat as Ahsoka fumed. “Okay, calm it down, I get it. I guess you’ve got your reasons. But what happened to  _ your _ ship?”

“I’m leaving it for him. So he can escape.”

“How sweet of you.” She replied, albeit insincerely. 

Ahsoka shrugged. “I can’t just leave him stranded here.”

In the back of her mind, Ventress felt her respect for the small Togruta woman increase even further. She couldn’t help but wish she’d been given that courtesy by the allies from  _ her _ past.

“Okay.” She sighed, giving in. “Follow me.”

They walked for a while in silence before a small wooded area came into view, the starlight reflecting and shimmering in the sparse leaves of the trees. They went deeper into the area, and Ahsoka felt the sticks and shrubs scratch and bite her legs as they stuck to her clothes. After wandering, seemingly aimlessly, for about a half hour, they came upon a clearing.

“Here we are.” Ventress spoke quietly as she strode over to a small tarp covering a large object. She extended her long, grey fingers, ripping the tarp off with the Force, and underneath Ahsoka saw her small shuttle.

Ahsoka just stood there.  _ Am I really going to do this?  _ She thought. 

She thought of Rex, and immediately she wanted to turn around and run right back to him, and settle into his arms again. But then she thought of how much she  _ loved _ Rex, and stopped herself. 

She tried to convince herself for the millionth time that this was for the best. For the millionth time, she failed. 

But she walked forward anyway.

Hooking her small boot into the metal side rings of the ship, she came to stand on top of it and slid down hesitantly into the rear cockpit. She closed the glass shell around her, and attempted to comfort herself by gathering her knees into her arms and bringing them up to her chest. She felt the ship shake slightly as Ventress climbed in, and she heard the familiar sound of the dash coming online. She was jolted from her thoughts as Ventress spoke.

“Hey, you know if they got Kenobi?”

“Master Obi-Wan? No, I don’t know for sure. Why?” Ahsoka choked, feeling tears well in her eyes as she remembered him fondly. His memory reminded her of just how  _ alone _ she was, now.

“Shame. You know, I was always fond of that one.” Ventress spoke as she pulled the shaft to fire up the engine of the ship. It roared to life, and Ahsoka felt her stomach give a violent lurch as the ground abruptly fell out from under her.

“So,” Ventress continued, guiding the ship above the trees, “Where to?”

Ahsoka simply sighed, blinking back tears. She regained her composure quickly, and cleared her throat softly. 

“Away from here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note about Ventress - I read somewhere that Asajj Ventress dies at some point in 19 BBY, the same year as Order 66. But, I don’t know if she died before or after the Order. So even though I don’t go against canon often, I decided to include her, however briefly, in this story because not only is she one of my favorite Clone Wars characters of all time, she fits perfectly into the events of this chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, everyone! Fair warning, this chapter is the longest yet! I couldn’t seem to find a good opportunity for a clean break between chapters, so I decided to lump two chapters together this time. Be sure to let me know what you think!

“Ahsoka. Ahsoka, get up.” 

Ahsoka woke up slowly to the sound of Ventress’s smooth voice. The bright light of two suns refracted through the trees surrounding the unfamiliar place she found herself in and into the glass of the rear cockpit. She felt her eyes sting terribly, and covered them with the back of her forearm. Sitting up and stretching as she did so, Ahsoka felt acute aches in places she didn’t previously know existed. 

Her body was instantly disconcerted, as she was no longer laying softly next to Rex, and now Ventress was here. Gradually, the past day’s events filtered slowly back into her mind. At some point in their flight, she had fallen asleep. How, she would never know. How could she have slept, knowing she’d left Rex? Knowing she’d never see him again? She felt like crying. 

Ahsoka wondered distantly, feeling her eyes well with tears.

_ How did I get here? _

There was a sudden loud banging on the glass. “I don’t have all day, Tano!” Ventress said in an exasperated tone, knocking her fist against the glass again.

Ahsoka pulled the lever and popped the door out of the frame, climbing out with a groan. She stood on top of the small ship with the intention of stepping down, but lost her balance and stumbled before falling to the ground, landing harshly. She felt the small sting of the fall lance through her frayed nerves. She just stayed there, staring at the ground, propped up weakly by her arms. She didn’t want to move. 

“Okay, Ahsoka, this is getting pathetic. Come on.” 

Ventress was never known for her patience, and she’d already given Ahsoka all that she had and more.

Blearily, Ahsoka looked up to see Ventress extending a long, grey hand down towards her, her gaze cast to the horizon in annoyance. Ahsoka took it, and Asajj hauled her to her feet roughly. 

“Welcome to Gorse.”

“Gorse?”

“You said anywhere, Tano. This is your stop.”

“Thanks, Ventress.” She muttered, running a hand over her face, feeling her exhaustion acutely.

“You owe me one. As usual.” She said with a smirk.

Ahsoka knew better than to take her seriously.

“Where will you go?”

“Better that you don’t know. But I’m moving on.” She spoke softly, gazing up at the sky, her dark eyes sparkling in the morning sun.

Ahsoka would later reflect on how much she had changed. In another time, another life, they could have been great friends.

Coldly, Ventress abruptly turned away from her and strode back over to where she had left her shuttle in the small clearing.

Ahsoka wasn’t hurt by this. She didn’t imagine Asajj was one for goodbyes. So, she simply turned equally as sharply, heading towards the sound of a hum from a main road.

“Ahsoka.” She heard Ventress say behind her, albeit meekly.

Ahsoka turned towards her, looking back at her expectantly.

“Take care of yourself.”

Ahsoka simply nodded, and unspoken gratitude shining in her eyes.

And then Ventress said something Ahsoka never imagined she’d say. She had climbed into her shuttle, and closed the glass door over the cockpit. She had then spoken so quietly, that through the glass, Ahsoka had barely heard what she said.

But she did. And she would never forget it.

“May the Force be with you, Ahsoka Tano.”

\--------------------------------------------------

Rex awoke slowly that morning. His mind still muddled with sleep, he rubbed his eyes roughly before looking around at his unfamiliar surroundings. It took him a few seconds to remember where he and Ahsoka had settled in for the night. While the previous mornings he had been woken up by the harsh rays of sunlight filtering in through the broken windows of Gregor’s hut, the abandoned house he now found himself in was dark, empty. Almost, eerie. Slightly disconcerted, he reached out absently to where Ahsoka had been laying beside him, for comfort.

With a start, he realized Ahsoka was no longer next to him. He quickly jumped out of bed, tripping as he did so, and began throwing on his blacks from where he had hung them on a rack. He felt his breathing increase, and his heart beat out of his chest.

_ Where is she? _ Rex thought frantically as he zipped up his bottom blacks.

_ Where is the Inquisitor? _

“Ahsoka.” Rex spoke out into the dark room. He didn’t receive an answer. Only more darkness.

“Ahsoka!” He shouted, feeling his voice tremble slightly and crack. He tried to calm himself down, tried to convince himself that she was just in the refresher, or had maybe taken a walk. But he couldn’t. His mind wouldn’t listen.

That’s when he saw it.

A piece of paper laid gently on the corner of the desk, as if patiently waiting for him to wake up.

_ No _ , Rex thought, a horrible, sick feeling settling deep into the core of his being.  _ There’s no way. _

He approached it slowly, extending his hand towards it as if it would reach out and bite him. He had no idea what it was. 

Or maybe he did.

Rex picked it up with shaky hands, and with a sharp breath that hitched in his throat, he let his eyes track over the small paper. 

_ She left _ , he thought. He felt a part of himself dissolve, pooling onto the ground beside him.

_ Why did she leave me? _

He thought they’d agreed to stay together.  _ Together to the end _ . She’d  _ agreed _ . 

_ She lied to me.  _

He felt his lower lip begin to quiver. Another emotion flashed through his mind.  _ She’d _ left  _ him _ . She promised to stay, and she broke her promise. He couldn’t believe that after all they had been through, after all that he had told her about how betrayed he felt after the Order, that she had done this. 

Rex found himself agreeing with her words in the letter, but not in the way she likely intended. He  _ was _ better off without someone like her, he thought. Subconsciously, a small part of him knew it was easier to be angry at her than to miss her. But anger was an emotion he was familiar with. Heartbreak, was not.

_ If she is in it for herself, I will be too _ , he thought, a choking sensation crawling up the column of his throat. 

Steeling himself, he quickly crossed the distance of the cabin and gathered his supplies, shoving them roughly into his pack, each motion quickening his harsh breathing. Well, he  _ would _ forget about her, he thought angrily.

_ I don’t owe her anything.  _

He felt himself grow guilty at this thought, a small voice speaking out in protest in his mind. It was swiftly silenced.

She obviously had the same attitude towards him, she just didn’t want to admit it to his face.  _ One last lie for my benefit _ , he thought ruefully. Why else had she left, if she truly meant what she said about staying together? She did have a history of leaving, after all.

As he finished packing the last of his supplies, he quickly stood up and walked back over to the small desk. He cast his gaze to the letter, laying pitiful and forgotten on the corner of the desk, right where he had left it. Rex felt a surge of anger flow through him, and he strode quickly over to it, taking it into his hands. For a moment, he wanted to stop himself. But he didn’t. 

He ripped the letter in half, and then in half again. He did this twice more, before tearing the pieces haphazardly and throwing them harshly down onto the ground, as if they personally had attacked him. 

Rex quickly slung his shawl over his shoulder and curled it over the holster on his hip. He grabbed his bag harshly, and strode out the door of the house, slamming it shut forcefully behind him, hearing splinters fall to the ground from the force.

He didn’t even know where he was going.

_ Away from here _ , he thought.

He looked down the road before crossing the busier-than-usual street, toward where he knew Gregor would be. Rex approached the dingy bar, shoving the door open roughly and stepping inside. Sure enough, Gregor was there, laughing away with some Rhodian. Rex slid in beside them, and he picked up a snippet of their conversation before Gregor noticed his presence.

“Greedo, that’s incredible! So, listen, you’re telling me, hahaha, that you took down a  _ bantha _ with nothing but your  _ belt _ ?” Rex saw Greedo shrug with fake humility.

Rex found himself getting annoyed. 

“There’s no  _ kriffing _ way he did that, Gregor. Don’t be so gullible.” He spoke, muttering almost to himself.

Gregor turned to him in surprise, noticing his presence at last. He was seemingly unoffended by his harsh tone. “Rex! Buddy, it’s great to see you. No, he really did it, Rex! Let him tell you! Greedo, tell him! Buddy, you’re going to love this story.” Gregor spoke, elbowing Rex in a friendly manner.

“I don’t  _ care _ , Gregor!”

A hurt look crossing his features, Gregor turned back to Greedo and gestured to the booths toward the back of the bar. The Rhodian took the hint, and slowly slid off his stool, eyeing Rex indignantly for a long moment before crossing the room, leaving them alone.

Gregor slid his stool closer to Rex’s. “You, uh, you okay, Rex? Where’s a sock?”

Rex didn’t even feel like correcting him on her name anymore. He looked down at his hands as they twisted themselves almost painfully together. “Gone.” He muttered, his jaw clenching. 

Gregor blinked, obviously out of his depth. To his credit, he tried.

“I-uh, sorry, buddy. Why did- um, why?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Rex spoke dejectedly.

Gregor sighed. “Well, um, you don’t need her anyway! You want a drink?”

Rex knew Gregor didn’t know what he was talking about. But he wanted to believe him. 

_ He’s right. I don’t need her.  _

“Yeah,” Rex spoke, giving him a rueful smile. “More than anything.”

Rex gestured to the Dresselian behind the bar. The tender took his order for the quote, ‘strongest stuff’, and slid it down the bartop towards him.

“That’s the spirit! Listen now, Rex, I’m  _ losing _ my mind.  _ Please _ let me tell you Greedo’s story. It’s absolutely insane! So basically, he-”

Rex just let Gregor continue, his words becoming increasingly muffled and jumbling together as the alcohol began to take effect. He wasn’t exactly invested in the story, anyways. He could feel his head swim.

At the end of the night, he looked up to see Gregor saying his goodbyes to his friends. Rex had stopped drinking hours ago, deciding to keep himself somewhat sharp so he could figure out his next step. Distantly, he felt Gregor grab his upper arm and begin to lead him out of the bar and into the sunset sky of the street.

“So, Rex, I’m not  _ super _ sure you should go back to wherever you’re staying alone. You can come with me! My house is great! I’ve got a ship you can see, but it’s like, really broken, so maybe I won’t show you that.” Gregor spoke with his hand around his shoulder, his voice distant in Rex’s cloudy mind.

“Oh, I know! I’ve got Dejarik, but I think I lost most of the pieces, but maybe...ah, it’s okay! My house is great!”

Rex simply stared off into space as he walked beside him.

Suddenly, he was jerked forward as Gregor stopped abruptly in his tracks. “Rex,” he said quietly, which was decidedly odd for Gregor. This got Rex’s attention immediately. He followed Gregor’s line of sight. “Rex, look.” Gregor repeated.

At the end of the road, he saw a man, facing them, but only angled towards them enough to see the side profile of his face.

But Rex would recognize the face anywhere. He was a clone. 

“Hey! What are the chances?” Gregor exclaimed loudly towards the clone. Rex felt himself panic. There was no way he wouldn’t be recognized.    
  


“Gregor, wait.” He muttered under his breath close to his ear, turning his face slightly away from the view of the other clone, gripping Gregor’s shoulder tightly. 

“Rex, this is crazy! Hey, buddy! Hi!” Gregor shouted, the last lines directed toward the clone. The clone turned to face them, obviously disconcerted. 

Rex thought slowly.  _ Uh oh. _

He saw that the clone was still clad in Republic...Empire?... armor. That definitely wasn't a good sign.

“Clones,” he exclaimed, pulling out a GAR issue rifle and aiming it towards Gregor. “Identify yourselves!” 

Gregor put his hands up immediately, but his happy, trusting tone remained. “I’m Gregor, and this is Rex!”

“Your numbers, clone!  _ I _ am the only clone dispatched to this sector.” The clone shouted, approaching them quickly, tightening his hold on his blaster. 

“Oh, I don’t really  _ know _ my number, which I  _ think _ is what you’re looking for. But the name’s Gregor, and this is...what was your number again, Rex?”

Rex shook his head vehemently at Gregor, drawing a line across his throat with his finger.

“What? No. Why?” Gregor spoke quietly, face turned towards Rex, but then he suddenly exclaimed again, this time talking to the other clone. “Ah! I remember! His is 7567, I think! What’s yours, buddy?”

Suddenly, Gregor turned back toward the other clone as he heard a clicking sound. The clone had cocked his blaster, his finger held fast over the trigger. “Traitor!” He shouted towards Rex, and he began to fire at them.

Rex grabbed Gregor roughly by the neck of his shirt, dragging him behind the cover of a nearby alley.

“Why is he shooting at us? What a nerf herder!” Gregor spoke, annoyed, obviously missing the gravity of the situation. 

“Gregor!” he whispered harshly, “That clone wants me  _ dead _ . I am  _ wanted _ by the Empire.”

“But you’re cool, Rex! What does he want with you?”

“He has the  _ chip _ , Gregor. The chip that you and I don’t. The chip with orders to  _ kill _ .” Rex spoke in a harsh whisper while pulling his blasters out of their holsters, cocking them, before leaning his head around the corner where the bolts continued to fly as the clone ran after them. 

Dimly, Rex wondered where all the people of the town were. There had sure been a lot of them this morning.

“Well, we have to help him!” Gregor replied.

“Great idea, Gregor! How would you like to do that?” He spoke sarcastically, his attention still focused around the corner.

“Well, can’t we just take out his chip?”

“Get down!” Rex shouted suddenly, before shoving Gregor in front of him, both of them sliding behind a metal dumpster as the other clone entered the alley, continuing to fire at them. Rex could hear the deafening noise of the blaster bolts hitting metal. His soldier’s instincts kicking in, he set his blasters to stun and popped up from behind the dumpster to fire at him before ducking back down.

“I’m not going to hurt him, Gregor. We just need to stun him. And then, maybe, just maybe, we can take his chip out. But the odds of it working, are-”

Rex was cut off as Gregor interrupted him. “Never tell me the odds!” He shouted before leaving his place from behind the dumpster.

“Gregor, get back here! What are you doing?” Rex exclaimed. 

“You’ll see! Rex, stay here! Stay alive! I’ll be right back!” Rex simply watched in confused shock as Gregor stumbled down the alley avoiding shots, before turning a corner at the end of it. Rex returned his attention back to the clone in front of him. 

Minutes later, Rex had managed to fight him to a standstill, and now they simply hid behind their respective defenses, firing shots at each other. He was getting nowhere. He had to make a move. About to leave his place from behind to take a beyond risky shot, he heard heavy footsteps coming from the end of the alley where Gregor had run. 

Turning, he felt his jaw drop in utter shock. At the end of the street stood Gregor, legs spread apart in a solid battle stance, dressed in a full Clone Commandos uniform, complete with blue lit visor and DC-17. 

“Gregor!?” Rex shouted incredulously. 

“Hey, Rex!” He heard Gregor’s unhinged voice exclaim, now modulated by his helmet. “You like it?” He said, tapping the side of his Commando helmet roughly with his fingers.

Gregor began to draw fire from the other clone, but the bolts had little if any effect on the huge, bulky armor he wore. Gregor held his DC-17 firmly in his grasp before spraying a foray of rapid blaster shots towards the other clone, who was now covering himself behind a small metal crate. 

Rex was floored.

Gregor had been a  _ Commando _ ?

_ I didn’t see that one coming _ , he thought distantly. But then again, if his past self thought that  _ any _ of this would happen to him in his life, he would’ve questioned his own sanity.

“Okay! This is happening!” he shouted towards Gregor before popping up from behind his crate to fire stun shots at the other clone.

Gregor just laughed.

\---------------------------------------------------

Ahsoka wandered aimlessly for what felt like hours before she came into the outskirts of town. 

She missed Rex. 

Electing to simply focus on survival, she had set out to find a place to stay. Being on the Inner Rim, Gorse was heavily populated, likely by some who wouldn’t take too kindly to her presence. Ahsoka passed numerous hotels, either too nice to stay in without being recognized, or too suspicious to stay in without being killed for credits.

She sighed, beginning to lose what little energy she had left. Her mind began to wander before settling on a thought that chilled her to her core.

_ I can’t go on like this.  _

As night began to fall around the dismal streets, she felt herself panic, until, on the horizon, Ahsoka saw the bright neon light of a small motel. That would have to do.

She began to walk down the sidewalk, walking slower and slower as her thoughts settled into her shoulders, weighing her down. Jolted from her self pity, she saw a sight that made her blood run cold. Down the street from where she stood, she saw several armed clones coming her direction. She quickly ducked into an alley, and quickly walked towards the end of it, electing to take an  _ alternate _ route to the motel. She hoped that didn’t seem too suspicious. 

Ahsoka leaned against the wall of the alley, her own breathing deafening as she stood completely still for about five minutes to see if the clones would follow her. They didn’t.

She thought of Rex.

Ahsoka picked her back up off the wall and continued to walk towards the motel. She wandered for what seemed like hours through the dingy side streets. After a while, she came to a fork in the street, and saw the lamp post that she had just passed had looked eerily familiar.

_ Am I going in circles? _ She thought with more than a slight amount of panic. She looked at both ways of the fork frantically, before calming as she saw the rectangular entrance of the motel. Sighing with relief, she turned down the alley towards it. However, at the end of it, she saw a shadow, barely distinguishable from the dark sky around her.

When Ahsoka stepped further, hesitantly into the alley, the dim outline of a long, red saber materialized in her view. Behind it, stood a slender but obviously strong figure, its head tilted down at her. There was another Inquisitor. 

_ Because of course there is _ , she thought ruefully.

The figure seemed to stand completely still, akin to a statue. It was waiting for her.

She couldn’t fight anymore. She felt her normally buzzing mind quiet, the harsh light of the streetlamps and the hum of the town around her began to dull. 

Ventress wasn’t coming to save her. Anakin wasn’t coming to save her. 

_ Anakin _ , she thought, a slight tear rolling down her cheek before settling into the lines of her lips. She could taste the salt.

Her Master was gone. Rex was gone. Everyone was gone. 

“Just do it.” She told the Inquisitor in a low, dangerous tone. All her optimism and joyful personality had finally drained from her. “ _ Do it _ !” She shouted, an agonized cry ripping from her throat. She closed her eyes, preparing herself. 

She heard footsteps rapidly approaching from the end of the alley. But she paid them no heed. It was time.

But then, she heard blaster fire. Shuffling steps. Shouts. Scratches. Strikes. Knocks. Saber blades striking each other. A man’s voice, and then a woman’s. The sounds could’ve continued for a second, or for years. Ahsoka would have no way of knowing. She didn’t even open her eyes. Everything was dark.

Ahsoka awoke in a strange place, not remembering how she had gotten there, or even that she had passed out. Muffled words and disjointed images floated through her mind absently.

Dimly, she heard a woman’s gentle voice. “Kanan, she’s awake!”

Rubbing her eyes, she sat up slowly. She found a green Twi’lek woman staring back at her. She had a kind face. “Hi.” She said softly.

“Where am I?” Ahsoka asked, her arm going back behind her to prop her up on the bunk. She instantly regretted speaking however, her throat scratched like she had swallowed glass. She coughed a couple times before returning her bleary gaze to the woman in front of her.

“Don’t panic. But you’re on the Ghost.” Ahsoka looked at her in barely disguised confusion. The Twi’lek shook her head, as if kicking herself. “My ship.” She clarified quickly, laying her hand gently on Ahsoka’s forearm. 

“My name is Hera Syndulla. What’s yours?”

Looking up, Ahsoka saw a tall figure enter the room and come to stand behind Hera. He had a small patch of facial hair on his chin, and he had long brown hair tied back behind his face. Most notably, Ahsoka saw a saber clipped to his belt.

“Ah!” She heard Hera exclaim softly. “And this is my…” she stumbled over her words. “This is Kanan.” Ahsoka watched as he gave her a simple wave.

“My name is Ahsoka.” She rasped before clearing her throat.

“Ahsoka, it’s nice to meet you.” Kanan replied, his voice deep. 

“We didn’t notice any injuries when we brought you aboard.” Hera spoke. “Are you feeling okay?”

Ahsoka nodded, her affirmation all but negated by the tears welling in her eyes.

“You can trust us.” Hera said quietly, picking up that there was something deeper going on with her.

Ahsoka took a deep breath. In the back of her mind, she felt like she really  _ could _ trust them. There was just something about them, even though she’d only known them for moments.

In a detached, almost clinical tone, she opened up about Order 66, how her anonymous Master had turned to the dark side, how all of her friends, both Jedi and clones, were gone forever. She told them about her love, and how she had left him on Abafar. She talked for what seemed like hours before she abruptly went silent. There was nothing else to tell.

After she had finished, Hera nodded slowly, looking slightly overwhelmed with all the new information. Kanan simply nodded.

Breaking the somewhat tense silence, a loud mechanical scraping echoed through the hallway. Hera’s compassionate expression quickly turned into one of annoyance as she rolled her eyes. “Gods, I  _ told _ Chopper to fix that three times.” She said with a sigh, looking up at Kanan. He simply sighed in response. “I don’t know why you put up with that droid.” 

Hera just shrugged, hauling herself to her feet from where she sat on a chair in front of the bunk they’d given Ahsoka. “Excuse me.” She said softly, before turning away from Ahsoka and rushing out the door, leaving her and Kanan alone.

He approached her before sitting down into the chair Hera had recently left. He inhaled slowly before speaking.

“Are you a Force user? Don’t worry if you are. I’m not Empire. Neither is Hera.”

“Yes.” She said simply.

“I could tell you were, and not just because of the Inquisitor you were face to face with.” 

“I’m not anymore, though.”

“Don’t be so quick with that thinking.”

“What do you mean?” Ahsoka wasn’t really offended at his abrupt dismissal, more curious.

“I thought that way myself before. Even though I never feel I will be a Jedi again, if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the Force never really leaves you. You are one with it, forever.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do.” Kanan replied firmly. 

“You’ve lost your way, Ahsoka. I know, because I lost mine, too. I can see a strength in you, as it is the same one inside myself and in all remaining Jedi.” His voice sounded suddenly strained.

She opened her mouth to continue, but no words came out. She had no idea what to say.

“Trust yourself, Ahsoka.”

“I...don’t know if I can.” He seemed to be reading her thoughts, so she felt honesty was the best route with this man. 

“I don’t pretend to know all that you have faced. But I can tell you that there is more to you than what you feel now. Embrace your strength again, let the Force guide you.”

_ Was he right? _ She wondered. As if on cue, she felt a surge of unknown strength surround her, almost if it was radiating through the air around her. Distantly, she began to feel life course through her veins again. The darkness of the Force in the dawn of the Empire was stark, but she still felt something light shining through.

She simply nodded, feeling her eyes slip shut involuntarily. She was exhausted, and Kanan quickly noticed this.

“I will let you get some rest, Ahsoka.” 

“Thank you, for everything.” She murmured quietly. 

Kanan simply nodded. He stood up from the chair in the middle of the room, and strode over to the door. He opened it gently with a hiss, and stepped into the threshold before turning to face her again. 

“You will find your way again. I promise.”

With that, he flicked off the lightswitch, stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door with a click behind him and leaving her in darkness. 

To her surprise, Ahsoka didn’t feel on edge on this unfamiliar ship with these two strangers. They carried an air of peace and compassion about them. She could feel it. She felt herself  _ feel _ again, however faintly. It was as if the Force was welcoming her back.

So, she simply turned her body over on the small sleeping mat Kanan and Hera provided, laying her head down softly and staring at the wall. 

She wondered distantly about Rex. What he was up to.

Whatever it was, she hoped he was at peace.

\------------------------------------------------------

“Gregor, what the  _ kriffing hell _ are you doing?!” Rex shouted at Gregor, who was still firing bolts instead of stun shots. “We’re trying to  _ help _ him, not  _ kill _ him!

“Sorry, buddy! It’s been awhile since I’ve used this!”

Rex simply sighed, picking up his fire again. He then saw Gregor stumble back slightly as a bolt hit him right in the weak square of his armor. He realized the armor’s integrity was beginning to fail. 

“Gregor!” Rex shouted, but he didn’t hear him. Bravely, he stood up from behind the cover, grabbing Gregor between his armor plates, and pulled him down roughly beside him.

They both dove behind the cover, the blaster bolts following their path back behind the dumpster, causing the dirt to spray as the clone fired at the ground along the path behind them.

The clone was now sitting ducked behind a lamp post, firing at them from there.

Rex was shoved into the wall as Gregor slid up next to him. Rex turned his head as bolts began to pepper the wall behind them, causing it to splinter and chip away. He simply sighed, rolling his eyes. 

_ This guy isn’t giving up _ , he thought.  _ If he wasn’t trying to kill me, I’d be proud. _

He no longer felt like a Captain.  _ Or _ a Commander. Or even a  _ soldier _ .

He was  _ done _ .

And maybe, just maybe, that wasn’t a bad thing.

“Why does everyone want me dead on  _ this kriffing planet _ ?” He shouted to Gregor.

Gregor simply laughed, popping up from behind their cover and firing stun shot after stun shot at the other clone, the recoil causing his shoulder to jerk back with every shot. He faced back down towards Rex. 

“You’re just that kind of guy, Rex buddy!”

“It sure as hell seems that way!” Rex shouted ruefully above the blaster noise, standing up and firing stun shots along with Gregor, alternating between his two blasters. 

Fatefully though, the other clone lost his balance and fell out from behind the post. This was their shot. Rex aimed keenly through his helmet, squinting as he did so. He fired one last time, feeling the slight recoil ripple through his hand. The stun shot made contact with the clone’s chest plate, and he fell to the ground with a thud. 

_ I’ve still got it, _ he thought with a slight, tired smile.

Gregor, however, seemed to not notice the recent development, and continued to fire stun shots into the unconscious clone. 

“Gregor. Gregor! He’s had enough!” He didn’t seem to hear him. “ _ Gregor _ !” He said sharply, grabbing his DC-17 out of his hands. 

“He’s had enough.” he repeated breathlessly. Gregor nodded.

Rex bent down, resting his hands briefly on his knees, catching his breath.

“Okay,” he sighed, straightening his back and then leaning into it for a stretch. “Let’s get him out of here.”

Gregor walked over, and bent down, lifting the other clone’s limp body effortlessly over his shoulders. They walked to the end of the alley, and Rex peeked around the corner, expecting the clone to have  _ some _ kind of backup. But he didn’t.

They walked through the small town, trying to be inconspicuous. After all, they didn’t exactly  _ look _ innocent. But dimly, Rex figured no one in this haven for criminals would even mind, even if they were seen. 

“I know a place.” Gregor spoke as they turned a corner and began to approach a white brick building. Rex nodded and followed closely behind him.

After a few minutes of walking, they climbed the steps up to the entrance of the building and Rex pushed the unlocked, battered wooden door open with one hand, the other holding he and Gregor’s helmets. Rex stepped forward, taking in his dimly lit surroundings. The room was musty, looking like it was previously some sort of waiting room, but it was now devoid of everything except an old wooden desk sitting in front of the door. The place was almost completely empty. Rex felt a shudder crawl up his spine. Gregor carried the clone on his shoulders through the threshold after Rex, banging his limp head lightly on the frame as he did so.

“Careful.” Rex warned quietly, before turning back towards the door, his now paranoid mind looking to make sure they weren’t followed.

“Hey, Keya!” Gregor shouted in contrast to Rex’s hushed tone, his voice stark against the punishing silence of the room.

A small, hunched-over old Ithorian woman appeared quietly from the corner, so quietly in fact, that Rex didn’t even see her until she was inches from him.

“Ah!” Rex exclaimed as he turned back around, jumping slightly at the sudden sight of her. He relaxed quickly, placing a hand lightly on his chest.

“Hey, Keya. How are ya?” Gregor said easily.

“Who did you bring with you?” The old woman spoke in a gravelly voice, eyeing Rex suspiciously.

“This is Rex. You can trust him! Look, we have the same face!” Gregor said with a goofy smile, pointing two fingers between them. “He’s a clone too! So is this guy!” He exclaimed, lifting the clone on his shoulder in example before dumping his body unceremoniously on the floor in front of the woman.

“What do you want done with him? You have to go to Grat if you want him buried, but he might ask questions. You  _ could _ go see Thray, but-”

“No, Keya, he’s alive! I need you to do whatever you did to me a couple years ago, to him.” He spoke, gesturing down to the clone. “His chip needs to be taken out.”

“You pay me this time, Gregor?” She rasped, squinting up at Gregor.

“Uhh…” he trailed off.

“I will.” Rex spoke up, clearing his throat. “I...have some credits left.” He pulled them out of his pockets, and held them out in front of her. He watched her face as she eyed them, and then him, before nodding curtly.

“Normally, this is not enough. But Gregor is friend. Come.” She began to shuffle slowly back down the hall she had come from. Gregor simply followed her happily, picking up the clone’s limp arm from the floor and dragging his unconscious body, not at all carefully, behind him.

Rex sighed, following them. He had no idea what he was even doing anymore, but he had no energy left to ask.

  
  


\------------------------------------------

  
  


Ahsoka awoke again, this time feeling rested, and surprisingly… normal. The room was comfortingly quiet outside of the hum of the Ghost’s engine, and she felt at peace.

She sat up in the bunk, stretching slightly, before hauling herself up and opening the heavy door into the grey hallway. She padded along it cautiously, dipping her head into each room she passed before she happened upon Kanan, sitting in a common room and looking intensely at a Dejarik table. He looked up as he heard her, or likely felt her, enter the room.

“Hey there.”

“Hi.” She replied easily, feeling some of her tension alleviate with this new, calm environment.

“Wanna play?” Kanan spoke, gesturing to the game table in front of him. “Hera is busy yelling at Chopper.”

Despite herself, Ahsoka laughed. “Sure.” She said.

After a couple of moves, Kanan spoke again. “I was sorry to hear Order 66 took such a toll on you. But I hope you know you can talk to me. It has been horrible for the Jedi, more so the galaxy, but I feel it has taken the most toll on the survivors.”

Ahsoka couldn’t have agreed more. “That’s for sure.”

He nodded in understanding. “I despise the clones for what they did. Consider that reason #100 why I can no longer consider myself a Jedi. I want revenge.”

Suddenly, Ahsoka was glad she had forgotten to mention that Rex was one of them. Wanting to defend his honor, she thought about challenging Kanan, and telling him that not  _ all _ clones were responsible for the horror. But then again, her only evidence to the contrary was two clones who didn’t kill Jedi. Out of millions. 

So she declined to speak.

“I...lost my Master, and many of my mentors.” He said, his voice strained. But he continued. “Luckily though, I escaped. That’s when I met Hera.”

He continued. “After the Order, I felt disconnected with the Force. It didn't take long for Hera to figure out I was a Jedi, though. Especially since I keep this with me.” He spoke, gesturing down to the saber clipped to his belt. “I don't identify with the way of the Jedi anymore, but I am still one with the Force. I can tell you are the same way, Ahsoka.”

She felt her inner resolve strengthen at being around someone who understood her thoughts on a deeper level. It wasn’t how Rex loved and understood her, heart to heart. Nor how Anakin understood her, as Master to Padawan. Kanan seemed to understand her, Force user to Force user. And it felt good.

“So much has changed. I feel so lost.” As she spoke the words, however, she began to wonder how true they still were. She felt a sense of a new hope seep steadily back into the core of her being.

“As do I.” Kanan replied, eyeing the board before making another move. “But Hera helped me find my way again.”

“Are you two…together?”

Kanan waited a moment to reply, looking over his shoulder. “As a former Jedi, you know we were forbidden from attachments. But, like I said, I no longer follow the rules of the Jedi, especially after all that has happened. I don’t feel like one, any more.”

Ahsoka felt like she was talking to a carbon copy of herself and her own thoughts. She nodded emphatically. “I completely understand.”

Kanan smiled. “That being said, I would like to be. I love Hera, more than anything, even though I’ve known her only a short time. But, we both have other commitments. We do what works for us. I imagine you can relate, with...Rex? Was that his name?”

Ahsoka nodded. Curious, she spoke again. “What commitments?”

Kanan eyed her for a moment, before speaking hesitantly. “Do you know a Senator named Bail Organa?” 

She nodded.

“He is forming a considerable opposition group to the new Empire. Hera, is among his ranks.”

“And you?”

“Not yet. But I will follow Hera, wherever she goes. And right now, that’s into battle.”

Ahsoka felt her respect increase even further for him. She could picture Rex saying the same exact words about herself. 

“Battle?” She replied, placing her piece on the board, before smiling with satisfaction as she had caught Kanan in a trap with her move.

He laughed ruefully, and removed his character reluctantly from the board. 

“Battle.” He affirmed. “There is a quiet rebellion forming.”

Ahsoka nodded, feeling a spark of an idea light up in her mind.

“Could I join?” She blurted out, without even thinking. Kanan simply smiled at her.

“Join what?” Ahsoka heard Hera say as she walked into the room with two plates of rations.

Ahsoka suddenly felt uncomfortable. But Kanan spoke for her. 

“Your organization, Hera.”

“Of course! We need help wherever we can get it. Especially from Je- Force users.” She corrected quickly. “Does she know about...?” Hera trailed off, looking at Kanan pointedly as she set a plate down in front of him. 

“Yeah.” He replied. “She knows Bail.”

Hera nodded. “I will put you in touch with him. He will want to vet you, but I’m sure-”

Ahsoka interrupted her, albeit unintentionally. “I will gladly talk to him, but we are old friends.” She spoke with a smile.

“All the better.” Hera replied, barely suppressed excitement infusing her voice. “Oh!” She exclaimed. “Be right back.” She left the room again, and came back with a couple pieces of portion bread on a plate, and set it down lightly in front of Ahsoka.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get it to you earlier. I didn’t know you were awake.” She said, smacking Kanan playfully upside the head. He just laughed. “We got sidetracked, talking. I forgot to tell you.” He responded.

“It’s okay, Hera.” Ahsoka said with a chuckle. “Thank you both, so much.”

“Our pleasure.” The Twi’lek replied before settling in beside Kanan.

As Ahsoka ate with them, her mind began to wander. They, along with the news of the growing rebellion, renewed her energy and gave her hope for the future.

She liked to think Rex would be proud of her.

The comfortable silence was broken quickly, however, as Kanan spoke up from the other side of the small table. “First things first, if you’re serious about joining.” Ahsoka looked at him questioningly. 

He spoke again, and Ahsoka felt a surge of empowerment as she heard his next words.

“We need to get you a lightsaber.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick end note - I tried to strike a sort of balance between the more serious Rex from The Clone Wars and more nonchalant, sarcastic Rex from Rebels in these past few chapters. I believe this sort of switch in his personality was caused by the disillusionment and displacement that came from Order 66, so I have gradually adjusted my writing to reflect this.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! A huge thank you to all who have been keeping up with this story, and thank you for all your kudos and comments. Enjoy this next chapter!

Ahsoka was awoken sharply the next morning by a violent shaking. For a brief moment, she was transported back to the memory of the Venator. She could picture Rex, Maul, the clones, as clearly as if they were in the bunk room with her. The anguish, the death, the smoke, it was all coming back, invading her small room on the Ghost. She felt like the grey walls were closing in around her. Her breath was coming faster now, on the verge of hyperventilation. Pushing herself off her sleeping mat with trembling hands, she stood up quickly and stumbled out the door of her bunk roughly into the cold hallway. She felt her legs shake terribly, and she had to lean against the side of the hall to support herself.

_ Rex. _ She thought.  _ I have to save him. _

She heard a distant door hiss open, and then rapid footsteps. 

“Ahsoka?” She heard Hera’s voice call out to her. Ahsoka looked up wearily, the entire hallway spinning, and she saw the Twi’lek look at her as she began to collapse at the end of the hallway. “Ahsoka!” She said, louder this time, worry filling her soft voice as she rushed towards her.

Hera approached her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder to steady her. To Ahsoka, it looked as if there were three of her. She couldn’t even form a response. She just continued to lean against the wall, breathing heavily, her head spinning. “Rex.” Ahsoka said softly. 

“Kanan!” Hera called out, turning away from her for the briefest of moments. She was obliged to face her again, though, as Ahsoka’s knees buckled to the floor. “ _ Kanan _ !” She heard Hera scream, her voice wavering with panic as she clutched at Ahsoka in her arms, struggling to not let her hit the floor of the hall.

She looked up blearily as she saw Kanan turn the corner of the hall slowly, before spotting the both of them and breaking out into a sprint. As he reached them, he slid up behind Ahsoka and caught her in his arms just as Hera was beginning to drop her. 

“What’s wrong with her? Is it like what happened when you...” She said Hera say, her voice muffled and beginning to trail off. She felt like she was listening to her speak through a wall. 

She didn’t hear Kanan’s reply. 

Kanan grabbed her roughly underneath her arms, and kicked his foot backwards into Ahsoka’s bunk door, causing it to fly open and hit the opposite wall with a crash. He then dragged her in carefully, Hera close behind, and lifted her up to lay her on her bunk. She felt Hera’s warm, shaking hand touch her forehead, and she felt like she was waking up again.

“I’m…” Ahsoka whispered, the fog from her mind beginning to clear as the vivid memory faded. “I’m...fine.” She spoke.

“No, you’re not!” Hera exclaimed, “Ahsoka, tell us what happened!”

“I just...had a nightmare.” Ahsoka replied, running a hand over her face, her breathing beginning to slow back down again. 

“Ahsoka, are you okay?” Kanan asked softly, in contrast to Hera’s panic, his hand resting on Hera’s shoulder protectively. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I promise.” She meant it. “I just had like, a flashback to...the Order. I don’t know, it just felt so  _ real _ . I thought...” she trailed off. 

Unexpectedly, Kanan just nodded. “I know.” He said. 

Ahsoka watched curiously as Hera turned to face him, sympathy painting her features. She laid a hand gently on his face before removing it and returning her attention to Ahsoka.

Hera cleared her throat. “Kanan has had these...episodes, too.” She clarified.

Ahsoka felt herself relax, ever so slightly, the chaos in her mind finally abating. She took several deep breaths before speaking again. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” She spoke, her tone of voice returning to normal. 

Kanan just shrugged. “It’s...to be expected.”

Hera glanced between the two of them awkwardly, out of her depth. She shrugged Kanan’s hand off her shoulder gently. She thought it best to change the subject. 

“I’m sorry about the horrible sound, earlier. I’m sure that is what woke you up. Chopper and I have been struggling to fix the hyperdrive, but we haven’t had any luck yet.”

Ahsoka nodded, a smile touching her lips. “It’s okay. It’s late, anyway. It’s about time I woke up.”

Hera just laughed, still visibly uncomfortable, but looking to move on for Ahsoka, and Kanan’s, sake.

“On that note, Kanan, I forgot to tell you earlier. I’m having the Ghost touch down in Corellia. I know a guy, an old friend, who can get us that part. I thought I could get away without it, but evidently…” She said exasperatedly, gesturing wildly to the ship around her, “...I was wrong.”

He nodded, smiling at her display.

“Corellia?” Ahsoka questioned, struggling to hide her distaste for the planet. She hadn’t exactly heard  _ great _ things about it from Anakin.

Hera nodded. “Closest place to us. Plus, we could use a vacation.” She winked, knowing that the haven of thieves and criminals that was Corellia wasn’t the best planet to  _ be _ on, much less  _ vacation _ on.

“I’m going to go guide us into port. We’re about 15 minutes out.” She said with a smile, before turning and leaving both of them. Ahsoka heard her light footsteps gradually recede before disappearing.

“I’m so sorry about that, Kanan. You two didn’t sign up for this, and I-”

Kanan cut her off. “I get it, Ahsoka. No apologies necessary. Like Hera said, I’ve had it happen, too.”

Ahsoka nodded, not knowing what else to say. 

Kanan spoke again after a few silent moments. “I have something to show you.” 

He then turned towards the door of the cabin, gesturing for Ahsoka to follow him. She obliged, and he led her out of her bunk and down the hallway for a stretch, before turning into what Ahsoka knew was his bunk. She entered slowly, taking in the surroundings with interest. He had a desk, and above it hung various posters and artwork. She never knew a Jedi to decorate their room, but then again, Kanan was different. 

Ahsoka then cast her gaze down to the desk, removing her attention from the artwork. On the otherwise bare desk laid a simple, metal box. 

“Here.” He said, gesturing down to it. “Your new lightsaber. I gathered the pieces from the saber of the Inquisitor you encountered the other day. He had dropped it after Hera and I fought him off. In the moment, after he escaped, I couldn’t seem to bring myself to leave it there. Now, I know why.” He spoke with a smile.

Ahsoka felt her heart stop. She had missed her lightsabers very much after leaving them at the crash site, to throw the new Empire, and whoever else might have been looking, off her trail.

_ A lot of good that did _ , she thought ruefully. 

She expected the thought of seeing one again to feel wrong, or scary, but it didn’t. Even after what happened that morning, the past couple days had instilled a new hope inside her. She was no longer a Jedi, she was  _ herself _ .

She reached out to open the box slowly. Inside, she found a couple of metal pieces and parts scattered around and a kyber crystal.

“You’ll have to put it together, of course.”

She cast a grateful glance toward him. “Thank you, Kanan.”

He just nodded, smiling at her, but his eyes spoke volumes. Dimly, they both heard the familiar clanging sound of the ship docking.

“It’ll be here when you’re ready to put it together. We should probably get headed, though.” Kanan said, before turning and striding out into the hallway.

Ahsoka wanted to put it together  _ now _ . She wanted it back acutely, as if it was a piece of herself she was reclaiming. Instead, she settled for sliding the thin metal box in between a slit in her utility belt, and followed Kanan’s path out of the room and down to the bay doors.

The three of them stepped out through the bay doors and into the dark, dismal planet of Corellia. Hera sighed before speaking. 

“Okay, Chopper will stay with the Ghost. Kanan, I need you and Ahsoka to go and refill our rations. I’m going to go meet my friend, and hopefully he can help me out. Good?”

“Good.” Kanan replied, and Ahsoka nodded resolutely towards Hera with a smirk, giving her a snappy salute.

“Okay. Let’s get to it.” Hera said, laughing, before turning on her heel and heading down the street before disappearing around a corner, her walk all-business. Smile fading from her face, Ahsoka felt herself get briefly worried about Hera going alone, as Corellia was no nice place. However, she rapidly realized that everything she knew so far about Hera had told her irrefutably that she could  _ more _ than handle herself. 

Wordlessly, she and Kanan turned the other direction and walked quietly down the stretch of road. Power lines hung down the street, crossing perpendicularly above the length of it. Faded, dingy neon signs advertising everything from clothes to spice adorned the buildings. 

They continued to walk. As it always did during these slow times, her mind wandered toward thoughts of Rex. She wondered what he was doing, who he had met, where he was. She hoped he was at least somewhere nicer than Corellia.

\--------------------------------------

Rex couldn’t seem to remember a time before this. He felt like he had been sitting in this dismal building for years, but it had likely only been a few hours. Gregor was seated next to him, slumped over his shoulder and snoring softly. Rex didn’t have the heart to wake him. He’d more than earned his rest.

Dimly, he became aware of a small scuffling sound, and after a few moments Keya shuffled out from behind the dark corner that she had disappeared into with the clone hours ago.

She looked at Gregor, then Rex, and then back at Gregor again. “Wake him.” She said simply. 

Rex shook Gregor’s head off his shoulder, and turned to grab his shoulder, shaking him gently.

“Gregor. Gregor, wake up.” Rex shook him again.

Apparently growing impatient, the small Ithorian woman made her way over to Gregor. Rex watched with curiosity as she came to stand in front of him, extending her hand to gently touch his face. The woman seemed to be some kind of a healer, but everything about her and her ways was mysterious. Rex was intrigued, thinking she was going to wake him with some sort of ethereal trick. Instead, she just removed her hand slowly before bringing it back down harshly, slapping him across the face.

That did the trick. 

Gregor awoke with a start, holding the side of his face gingerly.

“Hey!” he exclaimed. The woman simply narrowed her eyes at him, before casting her scrutinous gaze to Rex. 

“Come.” She said simply, and wandered back to where she had emerged from. 

Rex stood up, stretching quickly to alleviate the aches that had collected in his back from sitting so long, and extended his hand to Gregor. He grabbed Rex’s forearm, and used it to haul himself up.

The woman led them to an alcove, where she then pushed open a small door with a red medical symbol on the front, and swiftly stepped inside. Rex and Gregor were obliged to duck to get through it.

Inside, they saw the clone trooper sitting up on a small cot, rubbing his now bald head wearily, fingers tracing over the evidence of a removal scar. He was hooked up to various IV’s, and his eyes were puffy and tired. But overall, he looked okay.

“Clone Commander Wolffe. Your friends.” The woman said, gesturing feebly to Rex and Gregor, the latter of whom gave a small but excited wave. She turned on her heel and abruptly left them alone.

Wolffe passed a tired hand over his face, before looking up at Rex and Gregor.

“What...what happened?” 

Rex cleared his throat. “Well, soldier, you...we took out your chip.”

“My what?”

“Your engine chip.” Gregor replied.

Rex sighed. “He means inhibitor chip. It was something that the Kaminoans put inside of our heads.” He sighed, remembering Five’s warning. Not for the first time, he felt an intense pang of guilt. “The ones that made us...turn.”

“Am I going to be okay?” 

“Yes, you’re going to be just fine, uh, Wolffe, is it?”

Wolffe nodded affirmatively. “I don’t...remember, how did I get here?”

“Well, I guess you must not have liked us very much, and decided to try to kill us, so we had to bring you here. No hard feelings, though!” Gregor spoke, his unbothered tone present as always.

“I  _ what _ ? I would  _ never _ try to kill you, my...brothers, I-”

“You...did, Wolffe. But it’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“I’m so sorry...I- What’s your name?”

“I’m Rex, former Captain of the 501st. This is Clone Commando Gregor.”

Wolffe nodded, the action causing him to wince. “Gods, it  _ hurts _ .” He sighed, rubbing his temples.

“It will, for awhile.” Rex’s own scar from his removed chip still throbbed from time to time.

“I have to comm General Plo, I need- where am I? I need to tell him a rendezvous point, to get me, maybe he can send-”

Rex felt his heart plummet to the floor.  _ How much did he remember? Was this a side effect of the chip removal, or something else entirely? _

“Wolffe…Plo Koon is gone.” At Wolffe’s devastated and confused expression, he forced himself to continue. “All...the Jedi are gone.” 

_ Including Anakin _ , he thought sadly. He would never forget his general, no matter  _ what _ he became.

“ _ What _ ? You’re...you’re mistaken. I have to- Why did you take out my chip? What am I doing here?” Wolffe spoke anxiously, faint hints of confused tears forming in his eyes.

Rex wondered distantly if Wolffe was one of the clones that turned on General Plo. He decided it wasn’t right to ask. It seemed like he wouldn’t remember, anyway.

“I’m afraid not, Wolffe.”

Gregor was a toned down version of his usual self, obviously electing to let Rex have the hard conversation, his gaze cast down to his feet as he wavered back and forth, shifting his balance awkwardly.

Rex sat down gingerly next to Wolffe on the cot, placing his hand on his shoulder as he told him about all that had changed. He told him about Order 66. He told him  _ everything _ .

After he finished, Wolffe seemed in a daze.

“So the Separatists...won?” He seemed crushed.

Rex had no idea how to answer this question.  _ Who had won? _ He wondered distantly.

“No...I don’t believe so.”

“Rex.” Wolffe uttered so softly, that Rex was unsure if he had even spoken. But he turned to him, cocking his head in response. 

“What do we do now?”

\--------------------------------------

The sun had begun to set on Corellia, not that it had made much of a difference, as the planet was always dark. If Ahsoka never came back here again, it would be too soon. She and Kanan walked side by side, and she fiddled absently with the metal box, reaching inside and feeling all the saber pieces in her hands, memorizing their surfaces, while Kanan carried the packs of rations they had purchased.

Ahsoka felt at peace. She was getting her life back. And it wasn’t as Anakin’s Padawan, an aimless mechanic, nor as a failed leader who couldn’t save her men. It was all hers. Her fate was finally her own. This part of her story wasn’t written. And the revelation was powerful.

She was jolted out of her thoughts as she heard a loud crashing sound, followed by rapid, noisy footsteps. She noticed Kanan stop, eyeing the path in front of them suspiciously, his whole body on high alert, just like hers. It was then that they saw two kids no older than 15 rushing to run out of an alleyway, knocking into each other as they did so.

“Han, wait!” The girl called out, falling behind him slightly. 

“We have to get help!” The young man said, turning toward her and grabbing her forearm roughly and pulling her to keep up with him. He looked back forward, still running wildly, when he saw Kanan and Ahsoka. 

“Hey, you two! Yeah, you! We need help!” He yelled, waving at them frantically with his other hand. Abruptly, Kanan dropped the packages of rations, letting them fall and spill on to the ground. 

The boy finally reached them, his breath out of control. Kanan laid a hand roughly on the boy’s shoulder, forcing him to look at him. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“There’s a...huh!” He exhaled, leaning his hands on his knees, his breath still out of control. He stood back up, flicking his hair out of his face. “There’s a little kid back there! And someone just, grabbed him! You have to help, we tried, but-”

“What did he look like?” Ahsoka spoke.

The girl to his side answered. “He had a black hood, and tight black clothes. He was holding these weird, like, light swords. I’m sorry, that sounds-”

Ahsoka felt her stomach drop. “What color were they?”

“Red,” the girl panted. 

Kanan and Ahsoka exchanged worried glances before turning to the two of them again.

“Listen. Where did he go?” Kanan spoke urgently. 

“I don’t-ahh!” The boy exclaimed in frustration. “Qi’ra, do you remember?”

“Yes! Yeah! He chased him down Lott street, down that way!” She said pointing frantically. Kanan and Ahsoka didn’t even hesitate before sprinting down the alley where the couple had come from, leaving them in the dust.

“Why would an Inquisitor go after a  _ child _ ?” She said breathlessly.

“He could be Force sensitive!” Kanan spoke loudly, running beside her. “ I’ve heard that the Inquisitors don’t just stop at Force users. I think-”

Kanan’s words abruptly stopped as they turned a corner and saw a child huddling behind a small crate. He looked terrified. 

Ahsoka didn’t hesitate before making her way to him quickly, leaning down beside him. The child was crying, his face huddled in his hands.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” She said soothingly, her sienna hand coming to rest on his small tuft of her. She felt her heart sting - he couldn’t have been older than ten. “Was someone chasing you?” She asked urgently.

The child nodded frantically, and he spoke in a sob. “Yes! He-” the child’s gaze abruptly left Ahsoka’s, and she felt her stomach drop as fear filled his small eyes. “Him.” He said simply, pointing above her shoulder. Ahsoka turned, and Kanan did as well toward the line of the child’s finger. 

But it was too late. 

The Inquisitor jumped deftly down the side of the buildings surrounding the alley they found themselves in, igniting his lightsaber. 

“Kanan, look out!” Ahsoka screamed, shoving him aside with the Force. The Terrelian Inquisitor quickly came to rest exactly where Kanan had been standing, his saber impaling the cement. Kanan quickly gathered himself from the ground, pulling out his own saber from his belt and flicking it on quickly. Ahsoka stood in front of the child, knees bent and arms outstretched protectively. The Inquisitor then turned his attention to Kanan, and he swung his saber down, only for Kanan to block his swing skillfully. For someone still so young, no older than 20, her friend must have had an amazing Master. Just like hers.

Ahsoka turned back towards the child, only to see that he had run away in the ensuing chaos. She turned her attention back to Kanan.

As he and the Inquisitor were locked together in combat, Ahsoka reached out powerfully through the Force, throwing him off his balance. He stumbled, and Kanan took the opportunity to raise his saber, intending to bring it down sharply on to his now exposed back. 

To Ahsoka’s horror, though, the Inquisitor brought his hand up pointedly and, using his Force strength, sent Kanan flying back into the walls of the alley. Ahsoka ran towards him, attempting to jump onto his back and distract him so Kanan could land a shot. The Inquisitor had other plans, however. He just as harshly reached out into the air around Ahsoka, sending her hurtling roughly onto the ground. She felt her head sting terribly as it slammed into the ground. She quickly shook it off however, jumping deftly back to her feet. However, she felt her stomach churn as she looked back towards Kanan. He was backed up against the corner, his saber crossed with that of the Inquisitor’s. However, he was bested in strength by the Terrelian, and the two locked sabers were inching ever closer to his face.

“Ahsoka!” She heard him scream. “Ahsoka, your saber!”

Looking at him, she realized he wasn’t speaking. At least, his lips weren’t moving. His eyes were firmly locked onto those of the Inquisitor, as if challenging him.

He was calling out to her through the Force.

She felt a sense of calm, of balance, flow through her veins, in contrast to the chaos around her. She knew what she had to do.

_ Ahsoka! _

She heard his voice yell again. Ducking behind a crate, she pulled out the small metal box from her belt and opened it harshly, the small pieces spilling onto the ground, clinking as they did so.

_ Hurry! _

Her hands began to shake with the pressure, and she was obliged to clear her panicked mind. 

_ I am one with the Force and the Force is with me, _ she thought.

The pieces of the lightsaber began to assemble in the air in front of her, forming a handle.

_ I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. _

_ Ahsoka, please! _

_ I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. _

The kyber crystal gently began to hover over the shaft of the sword.

_ Ahsoka! _

_ I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. _

What felt like hours was only seconds as time clicked by, frame by frame.

The kyber crystal slid firmly inside of the shaft. Click.

The complete outer shell began to form from the broken pieces. Click.

She raised the lightsaber, letting it settle gently into her small but strong hands. Click.

She felt her thumb click over the button, and the white light extended with a low hum. Click.

Her feet carried her ever closer to the Inquisitor. Click.

Her breathing slowed, her vision focused. Click.

Ahsoka approached the end of the street where they stood, the past words of Aayla, of Plo, of  _ Anakin _ , guiding her mind and her movements. Click.

She raised the saber above her head, and brought it down onto the Inquisitor’s back. She saw the breathing of his body stop, and a small quiver go through him. He fell back into Ahsoka, clutching at his chest where the lightsaber had punctured through it. Ahsoka quickly released him, stepping aside, and he fell roughly to the ground. 

He was gone.

Time seemed to speed up again.

Kanan stared down at the ground where the Inquisitor laid, before looking up at Ahsoka, an expression of gratitude covering his young features. “Th-Thanks.” He stammered, several moments later. 

Ahsoka simply nodded, still catching her breath slightly. She clicked the lightsaber again, and it retracted into itself with a hiss. She was silently amazed that she had been able to construct her saber that fast. She declined to ask questions of the Force, however, and elected to be grateful for its gift.

She was no longer afraid. 

Dimly, she heard Kanan speak again. 

“I knew you had it in you.”

\-------------------------------------

After giving Wolffe a few days to recuperate, Rex, Gregor, and their newfound friend stepped into the bright sunlight that awaited them outside Keya’s clinic. They had since shed their armor, electing instead for, in Gregor’s words, ‘normal people clothes’. 

While Rex hadn’t had an answer for Wolffe’s question of what to do next, he did know one thing for certain.

“There is nothing left for us here.” Rex spoke quietly, turning toward the two of them. They nodded. Even after all that had happened, he was still a leader. In contrast, these men weren’t the best warriors he’d ever seen- of course, that title belonged to Ahsoka. 

_ But they’ll do _ , he thought with a hint of a rueful smile.

“Gregor, you still have that ship?” 

Gregor nodded. “But it’s still very, um...broken.” He said slowly.

Rex just shook his head with a sigh. “We’ll have to fix it, Gregor. I can’t fit all of us into the Y wing. That is, Wolffe, if you are still coming with us.” He spoke, turning his gaze questioningly towards him.

Wolffe nodded once.

“Right then. Lead the way, Gregor.” Rex spoke.

Days ago, after Wolffe had awoken and Rex had told him the tragedy of the last week’s events, together all three of them had come to the conclusion that there was nothing left for them with the Republic. Because there was no  _ Republic _ left. 

So, Rex had come up with the idea to get in touch with one of his contacts in the Seelos system. They had informed him that Seelos had extremely limited Imperial presence. That was, of course, because it had very little  _ presence _ to speak of.

It was perfect. 

They decided to go there, and live out whatever fate had in store for them for the rest of their lives. And that is how they found themselves today, walking wearily toward Gregor’s small house at the edge of town. As they approached, Gregor led them around back towards a small patio, a large, tarp covered object sitting in the middle of it. Wolffe and Rex took up positions around the edges, and lifted the heavy covering off in unison.

Rex’s first thought upon seeing the state of the ship was,  _ Gregor wasn’t kidding _ . 

The ship had a large gouge in the side of it, and various dents and scrapes both deep and shallow marred the body of it. The engine block had been removed and set to the edge, tilted on one side. The windshield was cracked, the drive shaft all but nonexistent. 

“Gregor, what the  _ hell  _ happened to this ship?”

Wolffe just laughed.

“You know, fun.” Gregor replied with a smirk.

Wolffe laughed harder this time, folding over and cackling. 

Rex just sighed. It’s not like there was anything to be done, now. He passed a hand over his face, Gregor and Wolffe still dying of laughter beside him, before speaking. “Okay, men. It  _ looks _ like we have our work cut out for us.”

With that, they began to assign pieces of the ship to work on amongst themselves, and Gregor had elected to go purchase a new drive shaft. With Wolffe’s credits, of course.

Rex and Wolffe had been alone for hours, talking intermittently between themselves about nothing in particular. Rex was underneath the ship, trying to refill the huge hole in the tank below the ship, when Wolffe spoke. 

“He’s been gone for awhile.” Wolffe reflected quietly. Rex slid out from under the ship reluctantly. 

“Try not to worry, Wolffe. It’s likely he stopped for a drink...or three. He gets distracted easily.” 

“He is a character, isn’t he?” Wolffe said with a smile.

Rex laughed. “That he is. But I can say, in the short time I’ve known him, he’s proved himself to be an amazing soldier. And a better friend.”

Wolffe nodded, smiling. “So,” he spoke again, “...what’s your story? How did you end up on Abafar?”

Rex felt a pang of sadness strike his heart. This was exactly the  _ last _ thing he wanted to talk about. He wasn’t even angry at Ahsoka anymore. Not that he truly ever was. But now, he just  _ missed _ her. Figuring talking about it may take some of the pain away, he decided to tell Wolffe. 

“I was on a Republic ship escorting a Force-user enemy of the Republic back to Coruscant, with a Jed- with Ahsoka Tano.”

“Ah, I’ve met Commander Tano once or twice. I liked her. General Plo thought highly of her.”

Rex nodded. “So did I. Anyway, that’s when it happened. The Order.”

Wolffe cast his gaze to the ground, the weight of the words settling on his shoulders.

“I…” Rex blinked back a small gathering of tears. Clearing his throat, he began again. “I tried to kill her. All of my men were trying to kill her.” He spoke quietly, shamefully. “It was the chips, you know?”

Wolffe simply nodded, his eyes filled with understanding.

“She was able to stop me and remove my chip. To distract the other clones, so we could make our escape however, she let the Force user, the enemy, out of his special cell.”

“Wow. Bold move.” Wolffe replied. “Who was this Force user? I’ve only heard of the Jedi and Sith, was he not one of them? I know that Darth Maul was being brought to Coruscant, but-”

“It  _ was _ Darth Maul.”

Wolffe’s expression instantly turned from one of reflection to one of shock. “She let  _ Darth Maul _ escape? Was she  _ insane _ ?”

Rex felt himself get angry at Wolffe’s harsh tone. “She had to! There was...there was no other way to save us.”

“Why didn’t she remove the other clones’ chips? She just  _ left _ them?”

“She couldn’t, Wolffe! We had half the 501st with us on the ship, trying to kill us! Plus, the ship was going down.”

Wolffe’s hostile tone ceased immediately. “It  _ was _ ?”

Rex nodded, and sighed before speaking again. “Maul had gone into the engine room, and torn apart the hyperdrive shaft. It was brutal, Wolffe. The ship was going down, and there was a moon right in our trajectory. Maul had stolen the last shuttle, and there was seemingly no way out. She and I ran around for a while, until we found the Y wing I was talking about earlier, and we were able to escape. My brothers...weren’t so lucky.” Rex finished hollowly. 

Wolffe looked crushed, his eyes blown wide. “Gods, Rex, I’m so sorry.”

Rex just nodded. “War produces unforeseen casualties.”

“I agree.” Wolffe spoke gently. “I do have one question, though.” 

Rex raised his brows.

“You seem like a very skilled and capable soldier, so I don’t mean any offense, but...why you? Why were you Commander Tano’s...first choice?”

Rex shivered, the survivor’s guilt returning with a harsh vengeance. “I don’t know that I was her first choice.” 

But he did.

He continued again. “I guess, I don’t know.” 

Wolffe just nodded, unaware. “So how did you get here?”

“After we escaped, Ahsoka suggested Abafar. It was sufficiently small, perfect for hiding out. Or so we thought. At the time, we were fugitives from the Republic. Or the Empire. Hell, we still are. She and I marked for termination, after all.”

Rex shuddered.  _ Gods, I hope she’s still alive _ , he thought sadly. A tear slipped down his cheek.

“That’s why I attacked you? Because of my chip, right?”

Rex nodded. Suddenly, he saw Wolffe straighten as he noticed the tear. Rex quickly dashed it away, but it was too late.

“Rex?” He asked quietly. 

“Umm...after we landed on Abafar, we stayed together for awhile.”

“Why?” Wolffe questioned. 

“Why what?”

“Why did you stay together? I mean, wouldn't you want to get away from her? Knowing you were in danger?”

Rex’s mind immediately raised an alarm. This was a dangerous line of questioning. 

However, he dimly realized, not for the first time, there were no rules anymore. No consequences. Feeling nothing else to lose, he told the truth.

“I loved her.”

Wolffe’s jaw fell open in shock. “You...you and Commander Tano?” He stammered.

Rex nodded. “I hadn’t seen her in over a year. Once we reunited, I uh...fell for her. And then, of course, the Order happened. Afterwards, we only had each other. She helped me heal.”

“She loved you, too?” Wolffe asked, trying in vain to clear his astounded expression off his face. He didn’t want to offend him, after all. Obviously, a Jedi and a clone being together wasn’t the most unbelievable thing that he had heard happened in the last week.

“I think she did. She told me she did. But then she...she left.”

Wolffe felt sympathy for him. He’d only known him a short time, but he already thought he was worthy of all the happiness a clone could have. 

“But why?”

“She promised we’d stay together, but then it got too dangerous.” That was all the detail Rex felt relevant. 

“She said she left to protect me, that I was in danger as long as I was with her. But I still felt...betrayed.”

“I...can’t say I blame you. She made a  _ promise _ .” 

At the conviction he heard in Wolffe’s response, he abruptly realized how... _ open _ he was being. He cringed slightly at this. “Sorry, Wolffe, that was personal. I didn’t mean to…”

“No! It’s okay, brother. It’s not like there are rules, anymore. There’s  _ nothing _ , anymore. Besides, even if there  _ were _ still rules, I can’t say that I would fault you for not following them, after everything that’s happened.”

Rex had been wanting to get it off his chest for days now, and so he had just spoken without thinking. He  _ never _ expected Wolffe, another  _ clone _ , to be so understanding. Gregor was a different story, of course.

“I’m sorry she left you.” Wolffe spoke again. 

“Thank you.” Rex spoke quietly.

They were drawn out of their conversation by the sound of the fence to the back of Gregor’s house squeaking open. Gregor entered the small back porch, drive shaft in hand. “Hey!” He greeted them cheerfully.

After Ahsoka had gone, Rex felt he had nothing left, that  _ everything _ had been taken from him. But as he watched Gregor greet Wolffe with a hearty slap on the back, he realized that maybe that wasn’t entirely true. He had Gregor and Wolffe, his friends. And for now, they were enough. 

“Hey, Gregor.” Rex replied with a smile, slowly coming out of his previous headspace. As they all returned to work on their respective areas of the battered ship, he got lost in his thoughts.

He missed Ahsoka, more than anything. He felt the pain acutely. But, maybe, just maybe, she  _ meant _ what she had said in her letter. Maybe this  _ was _ for the best, no matter how badly it hurt. He could make something of the rest of his life. After all, he’d never had that opportunity before. He would remember her fondly, but he would move on. From her, from everything. It’s what she would’ve wanted.

Ahsoka was right. 

She was always the smart one, after all. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! All of my thanks to those who have read, left kudos, or reviewed, you all have no idea how much I appreciate it. Without further ado, here is the next chapter- it’s a long one!

_ 3 Months Later _

Ahsoka walked in lockstep next to Hera down the bright white hall of the ship, the sound of their shared footsteps stark in the dead silence of space. After a few moments, they approached the door to the central room of the ship, and Ahsoka stumbled abruptly, nearly running into Hera as she had stopped quickly in front of it. She figured she would’ve just walked in, as Hera seemed to know Bail well. As a matter of fact, so did she. 

“Are you ready, Ahsoka?” Hera asked quietly. 

She nodded, feeling slightly disconcerted, but ready nonetheless. Hera placed her hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently, before knocking on the door.

Ahsoka couldn’t quite hold in her immediate smile at seeing Bail’s familiar face as he opened the metal door with a hiss and stepped outside to meet them in the hallway.

“Ahsoka Tano.” He spoke in his usual friendly tone of voice. “I’m glad to see you again. Great to see you again as always too, Captain Syndulla.”

“You too, Bail.” Hera spoke, smiling as she did so.

“You can go ahead in. General Sato is waiting for you with a briefing of the Empire’s recent activity on Mandalore.” Bail spoke, gesturing to the door with the back of his hand.

Hera sighed, the smile falling from her face, and she opened the door quietly and stepped in, not before casting Ahsoka a look. Ahsoka didn’t exactly know what Bail was referencing, but she figured she would find out soon enough. Not that she really wanted to know, based on Hera’s reaction.

Drawing her out of her thoughts, he spoke again. “Ahsoka, could we speak in private for a moment?”

“Of course.” Ahsoka replied. Wordlessly, Bail turned and strode down the hall, and she followed close behind. As he led her to a small bay door, she was feeling more than a little trepidation. She had known that Bail would likely want to vet her, but she figured the others members of the Alliance would, too. Why he was leading her away from them now, she had no idea.

They stepped inside a small conference room, a long white table stretching across the length of it, and multiple intricate star charts decorating the walls. She looked around a bit at the charts before turning her attention towards Bail as he entered the room behind her and shut the door with a click. Clearing his throat, he began to speak.

“We are always on the lookout for skilled commanders, loyal to the Republic. I know that you know you are in a unique position as a former member of the Jedi Order to aid in the objectives of the Alliance.”

Ahsoka nodded. She was following so far, however, she wished he would get to the point. He was starting to make her nervous.

“I trust you, Ahsoka, and I am very glad to see you have survived. I have personally vouched for your character and skills to the other senior members of the Alliance, all of which are supportive of your membership. However, what duties you will fulfill are still...undecided.”

“I can fulfill any role that Alliance dictates.” She said resolutely.

“I was hoping you would say that. In that regard, I lost contact with a member of the Council a month ago.”

Ahsoka was absolutely floored. There was a member of the Council... _ alive _ ?

Against her better judgement, she couldn’t help but ask. “Who was it?” She stammered.

“I am...not at liberty to say, at this moment. However, before they cut off contact, they told me not to come looking. They said that they had other duties to fulfill.”

Ahsoka nodded calmly, but inside her mind raced wildly.  _ Who could it possibly be? _

“This individual is critical to our efforts. I believe they have new information that would affect our strategy in the Outer Rim. They had previously promised to transmit this information, but I have not heard from them since. I am both concerned for their safety, and about the consequences of the loss of their information.”

Bail cleared his throat before continuing. “I am asking for your help. Being a part of the former Jedi Order, I believe you are better equipped to regain contact with this individual, as I know you two have a history.”

Now she was even more intrigued.

“The other reason I am asking this of you is because, as of now, this mission is unapproved by the Alliance. They do not believe the information is as important as I think, but I hate to say they are wrong. Besides, I regard this person as a friend. That being said, I have a personal stake in this mission, but cannot go myself. This mission is to be accomplished with the most secrecy, both from the Empire and the Alliance. This is what I ask of you. Do you accept?”

Ahsoka didn’t even think about her answer, she already knew. “Yes.”

“I’m glad to hear that. More than you know.” Bail spoke, giving her a warm smile. “I will be sending you with one of my most trusted associates by the name of Captain Moran. Being from the Outer Rim planet where my contact was last seen, he will be accompanying you to make sure you can find your way around. But do not be mistaken, you will be in charge for this mission”

“Okay.” She replied simply. She was never really concerned with who was in charge anyway, she always seemed to end up becoming the leader.

“I will set up a meeting between the two of you, and then you can begin. However, there is one more matter to be settled.”

“What is it?”

“As this is an unauthorized mission, the leaking of the information surrounding the case would be detrimental to my standing with the Alliance, and would be very dangerous, if not deadly, for the individual because of their status with the Empire. That being said, I will be setting up communications between us using an unknown frequency.”

“Should I come up with a code name?”

“That was my next point. I cannot call you Ahsoka, or Tano, even over this protected frequency. You’ll need a codename at least, so you can deal with other operatives both now and in the future, beyond this mission.”

Ahsoka thought for a moment, and then had an idea. “Fulcrum. You can call me Fulcrum.”

Bail smiled. “Okay. Thank you, Ahsoka. I will contact Captain Moran, and tell him you accept.”

Ahsoka nodded, smiling back at him. “Thank  _ you _ , Bail. I won’t let you down.”

“Oh, I know. Why do you think I’m sending you?”

She smiled even wider.

“Let me introduce you to everyone else. Follow me.” He grabbed her shoulder gently, and escorted her out of the room and down the hall, back to where she knew Hera was. However, as they finally reached the door, he stopped abruptly in front of it.

“Oh, and Ahsoka.” He spoke, turning towards her with a smirk. 

She simply raised her brow marks, questioning. 

“Welcome to the Rebellion.”

She felt an indescribable warm feeling cover her entire body, settling into her head all the way down to her toes. 

She was back.

Bail opened the door with a hiss, and Ahsoka entered close behind. Hera caught her eyes, raising her brow, asking a silent question. Ahsoka nodded resolutely. She watched as a small smile appeared on Hera’s face before disappearing just as quickly. She slowly patted the edge of the table closest to her, and Ahsoka took the hint, walking over to stand beside her. A member of the Alliance was speaking, so she took care to do so quietly.

“…in an event the Mandalorians are calling ‘The Night of a Thousand Tears’. We believe ISB Officer Moff Gideon was behind the attack. Now, I believe our response should be-”

The man’s voice slowly faded as she took in her surroundings.

While Bail and Hera were certainly familiar faces, the various other Rebel officials and officers that dotted the room were completely unknown to her. They all surrounded a large hologram table, not unlike the ones that she, Anakin, and Rex had put to use during the war. Noticing her presence though, they all ceased their discussion and cast their glances toward her. Ahsoka would’ve normally felt uncomfortable at this, but she knew, both from instinct and Hera’s glowing praise, that they were all trustworthy people.

Noticing this, Bail spoke up. “Everyone, meet Ahsoka Tano. She was a member of the Jedi Order in the days of the Republic. As I said before, she is very valuable and will provide us with unique intel and perspective.” 

Ahsoka nodded resolutely, and turned to face everyone.

Bail continued. “Ahsoka, this is General Dodonna.” He said, gesturing to a man with a white hair across the table, who nodded once at her. “General Sato, of course you know Captain Syndulla, and then Senator Mon Mothma.” He spoke, gesturing clockwise around the table.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.” Ahsoka said diplomatically. She was immensely touched by their immediate support. Strangely, she sensed it was where she was always meant to be.

“I have heard a lot about you, young one.” The Senator spoke quietly with a smile. “We’re very glad to have you among our ranks.” With that, she turned back to Dodonna, who had been previously speaking. “Please continue, General.”

The briefing on the state of Mandalore went on for a little over an hour, before they concluded and went back to their respective shuttles, all leaving the central ship. It had taken another hour for everyone else to clear out, leaving Ahsoka and Hera alone, a now tense silence between them. Shortly after the meeting had concluded, she had told Hera about her assignment. In the barest details, of course.

As they now stood in front of the docking bay of the Ghost, Ahsoka knew this was goodbye. At least, for a while. And so did Hera.

“So,” Hera spoke, her voice cracking slightly. She cleared her throat. “I’m going to go get Kanan real quick.”

Ahsoka simply nodded, the beginnings of tears shining in her eyes. The longer Hera took, the better in her mind. She didn’t want to see them go. After spending months with them, the three of them had become very close. In fact, they reminded her deeply of the other trio of friends in her life. 

_ Why did it always come to this?  _ She thought sadly.

Calming down a bit, she reminded herself that this was not goodbye forever, that she would likely see both Kanan and Hera many times in the near future. Dimly though, she wondered how true that was. Would the secrecy of her new role allow for further contact with them? Suddenly, she wished she hadn’t thought of that. 

She was jerked from her thoughts at the sound of the bay door of the Ghost opening, and she saw Kanan and Hera descend. 

“I’m glad to hear you’re a part of the Alliance now, Ahsoka. Not that I ever thought it would end up any differently.” Kanan spoke with a relenting smile, obviously trying, and failing, to hide his sadness.

“I couldn’t have done it without you both. You gave me hope again. I wish there was a way I could repay you two, for everything.” Ahsoka smiled at them with unshed tears welling further in her eyes, before gathering them both into a hug. 

“Not necessary.” She felt Hera speak against her, a slight tremor in her voice. She wrapped her slim arms wrapped around her and Kanan, before pulling back after a moment and looking her in her eyes. “Save your payback for the Empire.” Hera said with a wink.

Ahsoka smiled.

Now that, she could do.

\---------------------------------------------------

Rex awoke with a start, the desert sun blinding his eyes through the skylight, after hearing a loud metallic bang from below.

He simply sighed. They were at it early this morning.

He quickly descended the ladder that his sleeping platform laid atop, only to find Gregor and Wolffe had been working on the AT-TE without him when Wolffe had dropped one of the mass driver cannons while trying to do...  _ something _ with it.

Rex ran a tired hand over his face. “What was that noise?” He groaned.

“It wasn’t me, this time! It was Wolffe! Wolffe, tell him it was you!”

Wolffe rolled his eyes. “Gregor!  _ You _ were the one who was supposed to be spotting me, and  _ then _ you-” 

“Hey, enough! I don’t care, just focus on getting it up so we can expand the platform, please, okay?” He spoke in an annoyed tone, but he quickly felt guilty. “Look, do you guys need help?” He exhaled.

“No, Captain. We’ve got it. I promise!” Gregor spoke with a smile, already attempting in vain to lift the cannon again.

It was Rex’s turn to roll his eyes as he simply turned away from them and ascended back up to the ladder, collapsing bonelessly back into his cot on top of the walker, casting his forearm over his eyes. He winced as he did this however, unfortunately just now realizing he had a rather nasty sunburn on it. The desert climate hadn’t been kind.

A couple months earlier, he had managed to get in touch with a scrapper he had met during the Liberation of Ryloth years ago, who had relocated to Seelos to become a farmer, of all things.  _ Quite the career change _ , Rex had thought at the time. Once the three had met up with him, they pooled their credits to buy an old, beaten up AT-TE walker that the man had presumably stolen from the Republic.

Rex couldn’t bring himself to care. Of course, neither could the other two.

They had spent the last months reconstructing it into a base, and it was exhausting work, to say the least. But, at least they were free.

He had to admit, when he had talked to the likes of that traitor Slick, and that deserter Cut, he had no small amount of disdain for their desire to be free at the cost of their brothers. He had always thought his greatest calling was to serve the Republic, and to protect its people. But now, now that he had all the time in the world to think, he realized that the clones had been taken advantage of. Bred to die for a cause they had no stake in, by the Jedi they were forced to serve. At first, he felt no small amount of outrage, but as time went on, he realized it only made him bitter. After a while, he found he felt no hatred toward the Jedi Order.

All the lives that they had saved together during the war had made it all worth it.

So, he resigned himself to living out his days wherever they may take him, living with no other purpose than to eat dinner that night. And the fact of the matter that would forever surprise him was that it felt  _ good _ . He’d finally decided to adopt the Gregor way of life. Turns out there was really something to it, after all.

All the same could not be said, however, for Wolffe. He had been very distraught at the beginning, very lost. However, that dislocation had soon developed into a serious anger problem. Although lately Wolffe had gone beyond irritable, and was now picking fights with the both of them for no reason in particular. 

Rex had also not failed to notice that he was up late, very late, most nights, just standing on the pier platform and staring out into the desert for hours on end. Rex knew he missed his men, his brothers, terribly, and that the pain inflicted on him by the Order had taken a while to fully set in. Now that it did, however, he was just realizing what a toll it had taken on Wolffe.

As if on cue, he distantly heard the exchange between Gregor and Wolffe getting more and more heated.

_ Oh no _ , he thought.

Descending the ladder once again, albeit much faster this time, he could hear their harsh voices filter into words.

“Gregor, you’re not listening to me! I’m trying to get it mounted  _ there _ , but you’re not holding it right! Why can’t you just-”

Rex could see Gregor’s normally carefree expression was beginning to look very hurt. “Wolffe, enough.” He sighed.

Wolffe ignored him. “That’s your problem, Gregor. You just don’t-”

“Enough!” Rex shouted, causing him to jump back in surprise. “Take a walk.” Rex said, quieter this time.

Wolffe seemingly knew better than to argue with Rex, and simply strode out the door, slamming it shut behind him, causing one of the chimes they’d hung up to fall to the ground and break into pieces.

“You okay, Gregor?” Rex breathed, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Gregor spoke, sounding surprisingly unbothered. “I’m just worried about him.” He continued in a tone that was decidedly unlike himself.

Rex had to agree. “I’ll talk to him.” He said, giving Gregor a slight smile before turning to follow Wolffe out the door. He stopped first though, and bent down to pick up the small wind chime, handing the pieces gently to Gregor who set them on the table inside.

Rex pushed the door open, unintentionally a bit too hard and it flung open, hitting the opposite side of the wall before shutting again. He looked around, at first not seeing where Wolffe had gone. But it didn’t take long to spot him.

He was at the very end of the short pier platform they’d built on the walker, where he always was, looking out across the desert. Wolffe had turned at the sound of the door, but as soon as he saw it was Rex, he turned back around again.

“Wolffe.” Rex spoke curtly, standing his ground a few feet behind him. Wolffe simply kept staring out. 

“Wolffe. Look at me.” He spoke again, quickly growing tired of Wolffe’s attitude.

Dimly, Rex realized Gregor was watching the proceedings through the window. 

“Just leave me alone, Rex. I’m not in the mood.”

“You’re not _ in the mood _ ? I don’t care, Wolffe. I’ve had enough of this, so has Gregor. You cut this shit out, or you leave.”

Wolffe whirled on him, striding over to stand in his face within two steps. “Listen,  _ chaavla _ , you’re not a captain anymore!” 

Rex was slightly taken aback at the Mando’a insult. The word was almost solely reserved for complete scum.

“I know you think you are, but you’re  _ not _ in charge here. You’re  _ nothing _ .” The words dripped off Wolffe’s tongue like venom. 

Rex knew better than to take offense, though. He knew he was in immense pain. However, that didn’t mean he was going to back down.

“Leave.” He said simply.

“ _ What? _ ” Wolffe said incredulously. 

“Leave. Or I’ll make you.” Rex spoke, his voice still deceptively calm.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gregor leave his place from the window and stumble outside.

“Hey, stop! Both of you, stop!” Gregor exclaimed, coming to stand to the side of them. 

“This doesn’t involve you, Gregor. This is about me, and him.” Wolffe spoke, low and dangerous. Rex simply held his gaze.

“That’s what you don’t understand, Wolffe. I don’t  _ want _ you to leave, and you don’t either. You need to understand that not everyone is  _ against _ you! This involves all of us. We’re together in this now.” Rex spoke, still staring him down, refusing to be intimidated.

“We don’t leave brothers behind.” Gregor spoke up quietly.

Rex watched as Wolffe’s shoulders relaxed, ever so slightly, and he released a deep breath. Suddenly, he spoke out, his voice choked.

“I already did! I left my brothers...I, I killed my Jedi, you just won’t tell me I did! I-” 

“It wasn’t your fault, Wolffe! You  _ know _ this!” Rex exclaimed, stepping closer to him, gesturing in the air as if trying to shake him back to his senses. “It’s in the past! You’ll never be happy if you can’t get past this. I’m so sorry, but Wolffe, you need to move on!”

“Don’t give me that, Rex! Everytime you whine about Ahsoka, I  _ never _ tell you to just “move on”, do I? Huh?”

Rex froze, squinting his eyes at him dangerously. 

“Don’t you dare.” He spoke, his voice dropping several octaves.

“Or what?” Wolffe challenged, raising an eyebrow and drawing closer to him.

Rex wanted to hit him. He wanted to fight. But he knew that’s exactly what Wolffe wanted.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” Rex spoke coldly, before turning on his heel and entering the main cabin, slamming the door shut behind him.

\----------------------------------------------------

Ahsoka heard a knock at the door, and shot up immediately to grab it. Not wanting to seem like she had been waiting for this moment with nothing else to do, she paused a beat before reaching to open it.

Bail stepped inside, giving her a smile, and another man followed him into the common room. The man was dressed in a faded brown pilot’s jacket, with countless symbols ironed all over it. He had sandy hair that was falling into his face, and he was obliged to run his hand through it to keep it back as he approached Ahsoka.

“Ahsoka, this is Captain Moran. Captain, this is Ahsoka Tano.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Ahsoka spoke, extending her hand.

He gripped it tightly, giving it a hearty shake before releasing her. “Likewise.” He spoke in a lively, unbothered tone of voice.

Bail spoke up again. “Having known a bit about your previous Master, Ahsoka, I imagine you will be familiar with Captain Moran’s...unique style.”

Ahsoka nodded, laughing slightly. She felt a sense of loss creep into her steadily at the mention of Anakin, but she quickly dashed it away.

“He doesn’t...always play by the rules. Making him the perfect choice to accompany you, obviously.” Bail said with a laugh.

Moran simply nodded, shrugging playfully with a smirk as he did so. 

Ahsoka had to laugh. She liked this guy already. 

“So, I imagine you two have some plans to work out. Moran, I’ve forwarded you the last known coordinates, and you can take the shuttle from the port when you two are ready. Ahsoka, please keep me updated on your progress, and if you need anything further.”

Ahsoka and Moran nodded.

“May the Force be with you both.”

With that, Bail turned and left the room.

“So,” Moran spoke, lacing his knuckles together and cracking them before sitting across from her at the small hologram table. “...you’re an old friend of Organa’s?”

She nodded. “He was close with my Master’s wife.” She didn’t even bother hiding it anymore. She felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of Padme. 

“Ah.” To her surprise, Moran didn’t even question it. “So, I figure Bail mentioned I’m from the dust ball, so I was thinking I would just take us to the coordinates, and we’ll scout from there?”

“Perfect.” She nodded resolutely with a smile. 

He returned her smile, and stood just as quickly up to his feet as he had sat down, brushing off his uniform. He turned on his heel, and strode out of the room, Ahsoka close behind. 

_ All business _ , she thought.  _ I like that.  _

They walked quickly down the long hallway to the bay door of the shuttle, and found that it had already been prepared and stocked with two weeks of rations and some medical supplies.

“So,” Moran spoke again, in his jovial tone of voice. “You flying, or am I?”

“I figured we could take shifts. It’s up to you.” She replied.

“I’ll take the first shift, and you can land us. We’re not far, anyway. Plus, sometimes my landings get, let’s say, a little creative.”

Ahsoka laughed. “Understood.”

With that, Moran walked into the cockpit, settling down roughly into the seat and flicking on the controls like it was second instinct. Within a few short minutes, they were on their way. Ahsoka sat up front with him, and they talked and joked about nothing in particular. It felt like only minutes when they began to descend on the location of the coordinates. By then, Ahsoka had taken over the controls, and had been shocked to learn that the coordinates had led to Tatooine, Anakin’s home planet. When Moran had said he was from a dust ball, he meant it.

She guided the ship expertly into port, and Moran quickly climbed out of the shuttle, apparently restless, as Ahsoka shut down the dash. When she had finished, she threw a hood over her montrals and clambered out to see that Moran had already paid the attendant, and was standing at the doors, waiting for her.

“Let’s get a move on, Moran. We don’t have all day.” She quipped.

“I was waiting for you, Tano.” He began to protest, but quickly stopped as she cast him a smirk over her shoulder. He just laughed.

They walked for a while, Moran leading the way, following the comm instructions Bail had left them. Dimly, Ahsoka realized the buildings they passed were getting more and more worn down, and less densely packed together. They were approaching the outskirts of town.

Moran stopped, seemingly noticing this too. “What do you think, ‘Soka? We still on the right track?”

She hesitated, nodding slowly. “I...I think so. What does the comm say?”

“Well, that’s the rub. It says our destination is about five miles that way, into the Dune Sea.” He spoke, pointing roughly out into the endless ocean of sand.

She remembered the Dune Sea from her last  _ adventure _ on Tatooine. It felt like a lifetime ago. 

“I think we should follow it.”

“You sure?” He replied. “Not questioning ya, but it’s rough out there.”

“Yeah.” She responded. “I’ve got a feeling.”

He simply nodded, before returning to his original pace. “Well, I’m not one to question a Jedi. Let’s go.”

“I’m not a Jedi.” She spoke quietly, but not unkindly.

“Oh, my bad.” He replied easily. “I heard different.”

She had no idea what to say to this so instead, they just continued. 

After a while, the wind began to blow harshly, kicking up sand from the desert floor. Ahsoka was obliged to cover her face with the cloak and Moran zipped his jacket up above the bridge of his nose to protect from the stinging, biting sand. 

“I never liked sand!” Moran spoke loudly above the wind, in a joking tone.

“I don’t blame you!” Ahsoka exclaimed, her voice muffled by the cloak. 

She increasingly felt herself having to work harder and harder to walk against the wind and sand, taking one step with the energy of four. It was getting to where she could barely even hear herself think. As if on cue, Moran spoke out.

“Ahsoka, we’re in a real bad spot! This storm is getting much worse than I thought, and I can hardly see the comm screen.”

“How much farther?”

She watched as Moran put the comm directly against his face, struggling and squinting to make out any of the directions. “I can’t...I can’t see! This storm came out of nowhere, Ahsoka. I don’t...we should-”

Suddenly, the wind picked up even further, and his voice was abruptly drowned out. The sand was cutting into her skin now, and she couldn’t breathe, there was no air left. Not only could she not hear, she couldn’t even see the Captain.

“Moran!” She shouted, but immediately regretted doing so as sand flooded her mouth. This was a nightmare, and there was seemingly no way out. She reached out into the Force for Moran’s signature, but quickly realized he had seemingly passed out. She lifted the air around him feebly, using the last of her energy to drag his limp body toward her.

She blinked slowly, shifting in place with the wind, struggling to keep consciousness, before everything went dark.

Ahsoka awoke, the oppressive desert sun penetrating her eyes. She felt the sting of sunburns on her arms. Casting her weary gaze over, she found Moran’s body lying a few feet from her. He was obviously unconscious. 

“Moran.” She croaked, feeling her throat scratch and tear. But she tried again. “Captain.”

He didn’t respond.

The storm had since cleared, but she had absolutely no idea how long they’d been out there.  _ An hour at least _ , she thought dimly, looking at her slightly sunburned forearms.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the wavy outline of a figure coming towards them, shimmering in the sweltering heat, their dark outline stark against the white of the desert. It almost felt like a dream.

They stood tall against the low desert, holding a wooden staff and covered in a long brown robe. Ahsoka forced herself to get up, placing her knees under her shakily and holding them for a movement before shoving the rest of her body upward. She stood weakly in the sunlight, her arms hanging limply at her sides, her feet spread widely apart, as she gazed at the approaching figure.

Normally, she would panic at an unknown person approaching, especially when she and Moran were in such a vulnerable position. But, she thought something about the situation felt right. Safe. 

Almost,  _ familiar _ .

As they drew closer, the figure's wavy features swam into view.

_ Wait _ .

“Obi-Wan?” She called out hesitantly, hardly daring to speak as squinted out at the figure, shielding her eyes from the sun with the back of her forearm.

_ There is absolutely no way _ , she thought, her mind racing. 

Until he spoke.

“Hello there, Ahsoka.”

“Master Kenobi.” She breathed, rushing towards him with new energy and gathering him into a tight hug, which he readily returned. She felt tears spring to her eyes, and pulled away from him.

“I...I thought you were dead!”

“It seems that way.” He spoke in his characteristically dry tone of voice. “Is he okay?” He questioned, gesturing with his staff over to Moran.

“Yeah- I...yes! But he’s unconscious. We...we could really use your help, Master.”

Obi-Wan just nodded, making his way over to Moran, bending over to pick him up easily, and slung him over his shoulders.

“This way, young one.” He spoke, and with no further preamble, began to walk back to wherever he had mysteriously come from. Ahsoka felt like she was floating, like she was going to wake up at any second. 

But she just, didn’t. 

Obi-Wan slowed his pace slightly for Ahsoka, but they continued. After about fifteen minutes of walking, they came upon a small hut, with various crates scattered around it, complete with a fire pit. In the distance, she saw another couple huts on the horizon line, their forms standing stark against the flat backdrop of the desert.

He slowly came to a stop outside, gesturing to the door. 

Ahsoka entered tentatively, taking in the bare surroundings of his hut. The hut was furnished with nothing more than a bare cot, a table, and a sink. Obi-Wan followed close behind, laying Moran’s limp body gently onto the cot in the room, before stepping over to Ahsoka.

She simply blinked quickly at him as he turned to face her, her mind moving a mile a minute as her eyes tracked over his familiar face rapidly. This couldn’t possibly be real.

“It looks like we may have a few things to talk about, Ahsoka. Please, sit.” He spoke softly, gesturing to the worn table and chairs. He slid one out with a scrape before taking a seat. 

Ahsoka simply stood where she was, still staring at where he’d been standing. 

“Ahsoka.” He prompted, a hint of a laugh in his voice.

With that, she snapped out of it and came to sit across from him, folding her hands together in front of her.

“It’s good to see you, Ahsoka. I heard that you had perished in a wreck. I’m very glad to see that you made it.” He spoke, lifting his hand to lay on her shoulder across the table, squeezing it gently before returning his hand to his side.

Ahsoka nodded emphatically with a smile. “Likewise, Master.”

She was surprised as his face fell to the ground, pain crossing his features. He was silent for a few moments before speaking.

“I...I’m not sure that title applies to me any longer, young one.”

_ There’s an awful lot of that going around, _ she thought dimly. “I...I understand.” She said simply.

“I…” He spoke, trailing off. He cleared his throat, and began again. “I trust you have heard what has become of Anakin?” He spoke, hardly above a whisper.

She nodded, feeling unshed tears well in her eyes.

He nodded grimly. “I’m so sorry, young one.”

“With all due respect, Obi-Wan,” she spoke thickly, feeling more than a little strange as his real name came off her tongue, “...I don’t want to talk about it.”

A silence stretched on what felt like hours, but was likely only seconds. It appeared neither of them knew what to say.

“How...how did you survive?” Ahsoka questioned, her hoarse voice breaking the silence.

“Through nothing short of a miracle.” He replied with a smirk. “After Commander Cody... _ turned _ against me on Utapau, he and the other clone forces left, apparently thinking I was dead. After that, I returned to the Temple and...” He trailed off. 

Ahsoka, unfortunately, knew exactly what he was talking about. The transmission from Kestis had not only included warnings of the Inquisitors, but news from the Temple. A warning, in fact, that any remaining Jedi stay away at all costs.

Clearing his throat, he continued. “I met with Senator Organa later, to inform him of what had happened, and-”

Ahsoka’s ears perked at the mention of Bail. “Wait, have you been in contact with Senator Organa?”

He nodded his head, his sad tone suddenly turning very serious. “Ahsoka, I trust you, but what I am about to say is not to leave this room.”

She nodded, nonplussed, but agreed all the same.

He sighed. “Bail Organa, along with Mon Mothma, have created something called the Alliance to Restore the Republic. I supplied them with safe coordinates for Alliance activity in the Outer Rim sector.”

Ahsoka froze. She had been looking for  _ Obi-Wan _ this whole time?

“Obi-Wan,” she said, “ _ I _ am on Tatooine for a mission from Bail Organa, to find an informant they lost contact with, vital to their Outer Rim strategy. Are...are you the informant?” She asked hesitantly. She could hardly believe it. Everything Bail had said was starting to make sense.

Obi-Wan looked to the side of the room briefly, avoiding her gaze. After a moment, he spoke in a low tone. “Yes.”

Ahsoka blinked rapidly, stammering over her next words, but was cut off.

“I am glad to see that you have chosen a role in this fight. I can’t say I wouldn’t expect as much from you.” He spoke, giving her a warm smile before continuing.

“However, the notion that he lost contact with me is incorrect. I  _ told _ Bail I would no longer be able to help him. I must focus my efforts here, as it is too dangerous for Luk-” He stopped speaking immediately.

“...for my efforts. I have already transferred what information I know to him, and have withdrawn from the Alliance.”

“But, Obi-Wan, Bail said that he didn’t receive the transmission, that you were in danger.”

“He told you wrong, Ahsoka. In fact, I’m  _ starting _ to think he sent  _ you _ here on purpose to bring me back. You can tell him I won’t be coming.” He said, a note of sarcasm coloring his tone.

“But why? He... _ we,  _ the Alliance, needs your help. Your place is with us.” She said firmly, her finger tapping the center of the table in front of him solidly.

“I have made my decision. I am sorry. I wish I could help, but I cannot.”

“But-” Ahsoka started, but he interrupted her quickly.

“The old ways are gone, Ahsoka. It’s up to you, and the remaining light in the galaxy to create the new ones.”

Suddenly, she felt her heart swell. 

It wasn’t Obi-Wan’s time anymore. And if there was  _ anything _ she understood anymore, it was that. 

So she just nodded.

He spoke again, firmly this time. “My place is here.” He cast his gaze to the horizon.

She didn’t challenge him. She understood.

After a couple hours, Moran had stirred awake and unharmed, and they had made their way back across the desert, following the directions Obi-Wan had given them as they left his hut. As incredible as it was to see her old friend again, she trusted Obi-Wan enough to know that he had a reason for his behavior, and this was  _ exactly _ what she would tell Bail upon her return.

However, what this reason was, was still unclear to her. But maybe, there is just some knowledge she isn’t meant to have.

All that mattered was that he was alive. And for now, that was enough.

After a few hours, she and Moran had approached the outskirts of the main town, the lights of the buildings twinkling softly against the dark, cloudy sky. At night, it almost looked like a nice place to live. They approached the landing area, climbing tiredly back into the shuttle.

As they entered and got settled, Ahsoka slid into the copilot seat bonelessly next to Moran.

“Are you sure you’re okay to fly?” She asked, running a hand over her face.

He nodded. “I’m never  _ not _ okay to fly.” He said, casting a smirk at her. She laughed slightly.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get him to come with us. It’s not your fault, and I will be sure to tell Bail that as well. The thing about Obi-Wan is that-”

“No explanation necessary, ‘Soka. I haven’t known you long, but I imagine you don’t give up without a fight.” He spoke, his voice more serious than she’d heard it yet.

She smiled warmly at him.

“Plus, it’s not exactly as if I care what Bail thinks.” He said jokingly.

She laughed wholeheartedly at this, before turning her attention to the window, watching Tatooine steadily disappear as Moran expertly guided the shuttle towards the stars.

Obi-Wan’s words echoed on and on in her mind.

“ _ The old ways are gone, Ahsoka. It’s up to you and the remaining light in the galaxy to create the new ones _ .”

He was right. 

She distantly began to think, as she always seemed to in quiet moments, of Rex. There was no reason for  _ either _ of them to hide from the Empire anymore. The fact that the Alliance even existed, much less what Master Kenobi had said, was proof of that. She felt a smile spread over her face, stretching almost painfully across her cheeks. Like Bail had said, they could always use skilled commanders loyal to the Republic.

And she just happened to know someone who fit the bill.

She abruptly shot up from her seat, causing Moran to jump, before hurrying towards the back of the ship where her pack laid against the wall. She heard Moran call questioningly after her, but she paid him no heed. Reaching her pack, she ripped the zipper open and dove inside, hands shaking with excitement, before pulling out her portable comm and typing a very familiar address into the outgoing field.

_ Together to the end _ , she thought, a dim hope coursing through her veins as she hurriedly typed out a message on the comm pad. They  _ could _ be together. And be safe while they were. Protected by anonymity with the Alliance...and by each other. 

For months she had been wondering if she had truly made the right decision, if the suffering she felt after leaving him was truly necessary. But now, she had her answer. 

She missed Rex terribly, after all.

But maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t have to anymore.

\----------------------------------------------------

Rex laid on top of his worn sleeping mat, his arms nestled behind his head as he gazed up at the night sky through his small skylight. 

He had no idea what to do about Wolffe. On the one hand, he knew it wasn’t really his friend talking, but that didn’t change the situation in his mind. He was angry- livid, in fact. But dimly, he knew that Wolffe had only said those things because inside, he was even angrier.

With that, he made a decision. He wasn’t leaving his brother behind. 

Steeling himself for another fight, Rex drew himself up from his cot with a groan, running his hand through increasingly grown out blond hair, before ambling over to the ladder and slowly climbing down. As he made his way into the main cabin, he passed Gregor’s quarters, and found the light on. Curious, he peered in and found Gregor curled up inside on his mat, fast asleep. He chuckled, and turned the light off and shut the door quietly for him before walking further and entering the main cabin.

Upon entering, he saw Wolffe look up at him from his place. He was sitting at the table across the room, his back to the wall. In one hand, he held a small tube of glue and in the other, he held two of the broken pieces of the chime that had been shattered during his outburst earlier that day.

“Hey, Captain.” He spoke softly, before returning his attention back to the chime. He slowly pushed the two pieces together and added a bit more glue, before setting them gently on the table as one piece and then proceeded to select another two from the small pile of smashed glass in front of him.

“Hey, Wolffe.” Rex exhaled, coming to sit across the table from him, sinking into the other seat with a sigh.

“I was actually just about to come talk to you, but I didn’t want to wake you. I wanted to apologize.” Wolffe spoke, setting the pieces down, clearing his hands.

Rex just nodded.

“I was completely out of line, with you and Gregor. By the way, I already apologized to him for how I’ve acted the past few months. We talked for a while, and he said he didn’t want me to leave, but if you do, then that’s okay, I-”

“Wolffe, it’s okay.” Rex said, cutting him off with a wave of his hand. He leaned forward, looking Wolffe in the eye. 

“I get it. I know you think I don’t, but I do. I’ve been where you are now, trust me. I want to help, we both do.” He spoke, gesturing to Gregor’s quarters.

Wolffe felt a sense of relief flood through his body. He was arguably the happiest he'd ever been with Rex and Gregor, even after all that had happened. Even though he’d lost everything, he’d found something, too.

And he’d almost thrown it away.

“Thank you. I...I’m going to do better.”

“Good.” Rex replied simply, leaning back with a smirk. “Consider that an order.”

Wolffe had to laugh at that. “Yes, sir.”

A few moments went by, both of them sitting contently. Silently, Rex reached down to pick up two glass pieces, before reaching for the glue himself, to help.

Wolffe felt a weight off his shoulders. He’d been so angry at losing what he had, he failed to realize what he gained. And although the pain wasn’t going away, the anger at being alone diffused as he realized he wasn’t truly alone.

He never was.

Breaking the silence, Wolffe spoke again. “I shouldn’t have said what I did about Ahsoka.” 

“It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it. Wait, you didn’t, did you?” Rex asked with a smile, obviously joking with him. 

“Of course not, Captain.” Wolffe replied, laughing slightly. Guiltily, he found he didn’t regret saying it, but he did regret how it made his friend feel.

“You know Wolffe, I do still miss her. Even after everything that’s happened, if she commed today, I’d go to her.” Rex cast a sad gaze down to the pieces, pushing them together slowly, as if trying to distract himself. He was trying to play it off, but it didn’t quite work.

Wolffe felt his heart twist at seeing him this way, because no matter what Rex said before, he’d always known how terribly he missed her over the past months. He thought Rex deserved better than a woman who had abandoned him for her own selfish benefit. He wanted him to be able to move on. 

He was dragged out from his thoughts by Rex speaking again.

“Anyways, Wolffe, that’s not what matters. I’m okay. We’re okay. We’re going to work together, and everything is going to be fine. We all just need time. And we have it.” Rex spoke with a smile, chucking him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too, Captain.” Wolffe replied, returning his smile.

Wordlessly, Rex nodded, setting down the pieces, before turning and making his way across the room. He climbed back up the ladder to his bunk, leaving Wolffe alone in the cabin. Returning his attention to the chime, Wolffe picked up the tube of glue again. He was quickly obliged to set it back down, however, as from across the room he heard the dash begin to beep. Curious, he stood up to go check on it. It couldn’t have been the radar- after all, there was nothing on Seelos to  _ detect _ . As he walked over, he swept his gaze across the dash, but couldn’t find the source of the beeping. Dimly, he realized it was coming from behind him. He turned, and saw Rex’s comm blinking on the edge of the counter across the room. 

He walked over to it, intending to just shut off the beeping, and tell Rex about it the next morning. However, as his finger hovered over the button, he saw the address it was coming from. It wasn’t one he recognized. Curiosity getting the better of him, Wolffe picked it up and brought it closer to his good eye to inspect it, and in doing so, read the message.

_ Rex, this is Ahsoka. Please contact me if you receive this. I understand if you don’t want to see me, but I’d like to talk in person, if you can. I hope you are well. I miss you. Over. _

_ Ahsoka _ , Wolffe thought derisively.  _ What could she  _ possibly _ want _ ?

She was probably on the run from the Empire, looking for protection, and trying to drag Rex back into it. 

Why else would she be contacting him? 

Wolffe had just found his family. 

_ Ahsoka isn’t going to tear it apart by almost getting Rex killed again _ , he thought. 

With that, he swiped the message away, deleting it from the comm.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, everyone! As usual, the biggest of thanks to everyone reading, commenting, and leaving kudos! You all inspire me to keep writing!

_ Rebel Command Ship Phoenix Home, 12 Years Later _

Ahsoka ran her fingers gently over the face of the holo pad, hovering over the key that would input Rex’s comm address. Pressing it gently, she began to type out a variation of the same message she always had. But for the last few years, she no longer expected any response.

_ Hi, Rex. I hope you are well. Let me know if you receive this. Over. _

She had been sending him messages, at least weekly, over the last 12 years. It was no longer about asking him to meet her, or join her, she just wanted him to  _ respond _ . She wanted to know that he was alive and well. Although, deep down, she already knew this was the case. After all, she would’ve felt it through the Force if something had happened to him. Or so she hoped.

So instead, she just spoke out into the void, not expecting or even hoping for a response anymore. She didn’t even really know why she was still doing it. Maybe this was just the last piece of him she had left.

She liked to think he was happy. That he had found somebody, or maybe even had a family. She smiled at the thought. She knew clones weren’t capable of having children, but she distantly remembered Rex telling her about the clone he had found years ago, Cut Lawquane, and his adopted children. At the time, she didn’t know she was the only one Rex had told about Cut. He spoke about it to her so nonchalantly, just as he told her about the other details of his tour on Saleucami. She listened intently, solely glad to hear that a clone had found happiness outside the war. She didn’t realize she should feel anything  _ but _ happiness for Cut until Obi-Wan had walked in, and Rex had abruptly quit talking about the deserter. At the time, she took pride in the fact Rex trusted her enough to tell her everything. 

Being so by-the-book at that point in his life, Ahsoka had half expected Rex to report him as she dimly realized Cut had actually committed a crime, although, not in her mind. But he didn’t. And when he retold the story of Cut, it was with a slight spark in his eye. Almost, a hope. A hope that he, too, could be more than just another clone born and bred to die, one day. 

She wished that he found what he was looking for, whatever it turned out to be. She wanted the best for him.

“Ahsoka.” 

She was drawn from her reflection by Cassian’s slim frame stepping pointedly through the door, speaking to her.

Captain Andor had formally joined the Rebellion rather recently, but had quickly proven himself to be instrumental in gaining new and important intelligence for the Alliance. He was young, but capable, focused, and unafraid. While he  _ was _ a little more serious than she was used to, she found herself paired up with him on nearly every mission lately. Not that she minded- in fact, they worked quite well together. And within no time, the young Captain had found himself in the rather coveted Alliance position as Fulcrum 2. 

She looked toward him questioningly, raising her brow markings.

“We’ve got orders.” He spoke.

She nodded once, setting the comm back into its usual place on her utility belt, right on her hip.

Just as she did every time she sent a message to Rex, she thought.  _ Just in case _ .

She followed him silently out of her bunk, and down into the main control room of the  _ Phoenix Home _ . Stepping into the room, she found Senator Organa and Commander Sato leaning around the main holotable, looking over what appeared to be a virtual mockup of an old munitions stock, inside a warehouse.

“Ahsoka, Captain. Thank you for coming so quickly.” Bail spoke, gesturing for them to join him at the table. 

“Of course.” Ahsoka nodded curtly. “What is it?”

Bail looked toward Commander Sato, who cleared his throat and began to speak.

“As you know, we have Captain Moran out on a scouting mission, looking for ideal places for a new Rebel base.”

Ahsoka and Cassian nodded.

“He has just commed in the last hour, with news. While he has not yet found a suitable environment for beginning a base, he has found a vast, unprotected store of munitions on Geonosis.”

Ahsoka sucked in a sharp breath. “Unprotected...on  _ Geonosis _ ?”

Sato nodded grimly. 

“It appears that the Geonosians are...gone.”

“What do you mean,  _ gone _ ?” Cassian spoke up in disbelief from his place beside Ahsoka.

This time, Bail answered. “It seems the Empire has initiated a successful attack on Geonosis, and has... killed, the majority of the population. The reason for this attack is unclear. However, Commander Sato and I believe it is due to the Geonosians’ large store of resources, including these munitions.”

“Okay.” Ahsoka breathed, running a hand over her face. An entire  _ race _ . The Empire had to be stopped. “Okay, what do you need us to do, Commander?”

“Your mission is this. We need you and Captain Andor to use the Fulcrum frequency to gather any information you can about what happened on Geonosis, and possibly tap into the Empire’s communications to gather information, if necessary. If I were to have Moran, or one of our other agents do it, their identities are not protected from the Empire. Yours, are.” Sato replied.

“Will do.” She responded resolutely. 

“ _ And _ ,” He added, “...we will need you two to go to Geonosis and make contact with any remaining Geonosians, and make plans for their safety. While this is first and foremost a humanitarian mission, any remaining Geonosians could prove to be very helpful to our cause.”

_ I’m not too sure about that _ , Ahsoka thought. But she decided to say nothing about it. “I agree.” 

“Do you accept?”

“I do.” Ahsoka spoke, before casting her gaze questioningly to Cassian, who nodded resolutely.

“Great.” Bail replied. “There is a shuttle waiting for you two in Bay 12 , the coordinates are programmed in already.”

They nodded wordlessly before stepping out of the control room, and heading quickly to their respective bunks to pack for the trip. After a few minutes, they met again in the hallway and headed down the halls of the ship into the landing bay area. 

Climbing into the shuttle, Ahsoka stepped inside, slinging her pack off her back and onto the floor before settling into the pilot’s seat. She fired up the thrusters, checked the coordinates briefly, and sent them into the according hyperspace route as they took off.

“Have you ever been to Geonosis?” Cassian asked, emerging from the back of the ship after a few hours had passed. He had apparently been studying up on the Geonosian language during the course of their trip, and she hadn’t heard much from him for a while. 

Ahsoka shook her head. “But, my former Master told me about his time on the planet. That being said, I haven’t heard the best things about the place.”

Cassian nodded, settling into the seat next to her. 

Ahsoka looked down at the dash, noticing the remaining coordinates ticking down rapidly. She began steering them expertly out of hyperspace, and the dusty planet blew into their view suddenly. 

Maneuvering the shuttle, she commed ahead to Geonosian traffic control. After a few ticks of air silence, she hailed them again.

There was no response. 

Breathing out shakily, already feeling an acute sense of unease crawl up her spine, she simply guided the shuttle the rest of the way down, landing them slowly onto the side of a cliff overlooking an empty clay city. This in and of itself was not concerning, as she knew that Geonosians lived mainly underground. However, the city looked  _ completely _ empty. Rising quickly from her seat with Cassian close behind, they both moved towards the shuttle doors. She felt an involuntary shudder pass through her as she and Cassian stepped out of the shuttle, the dust pluming beneath their feet as they did so.

Casting one more glance in his direction, she began to walk. She wasn’t afraid to admit, she had no idea where she was going. Where she should be headed. But then again, there didn’t seem to be anything to head  _ towards _ . It was a vast, blank sea of  _ nothing _ . 

She elected to lead them down the sharp incline of the cliff’s south face, taking the long way down to the city. Suddenly, she heard a sharp scraping sound, and turned quickly to see that Cassian had tripped, causing him to lose balance, and he was now sliding rapidly down the face of the incline, disappearing into the dust trail behind him.

“Captain!” Ahsoka exclaimed, shielding the dust from her face with her forearm as she hurried after him, the rocks scraping the bottom of her boots. She quickly found her upper body struggling to keep pace with her feet, sliding across the sand as she stumbled down.

“Cassian!” She called out again as she finally slid down to land on a lower foothill of the cliff.

“Over here!” She heard his voice call out. Looking toward the direction it came from, she saw a plume of dust beginning to settle, and behind it she made out Cassian’s form standing slightly off balance, feebly wiping the dust from his uniform, and she sighed audibly with relief.

Quickly running over to him, she placed a hand on his shoulder and lowered her gaze to meet his.

“You alright?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” He spoke, scruffing the dirt from his dark hair, the dust falling to settle on his shoulders. “I’ll probably have a bruise on my leg from that rock I hit, but other than that, all good.” He spoke, bending down to rub his shin with a small rueful smile. 

“Good.” She said with a smile, and looked over to where he had come from. She immediately saw the rock he was talking about, jutting out noticeably from the ground on the otherwise desolate, flat landscape.

“Wait.” She spoke tentatively, squinting her eyes at the rock. “That’s not a rock.”

Cocking his head curiously at her, he simply watched as she made her way over to it, settling down on her knees to wipe the dust from the object with the sleeve of her uniform.

“Captain, you have to see this.” She called out.

She heard his footsteps draw closer, and he stood above her, looking over her shoulder down at the object.

It was the worn head of an old Commando droid. At first, she thought there was a whole droid buried under the sand, but when she pulled on it, the head quickly dislodged from the dirt and sent her stumbling backward slightly.

“Would you look at that?” Cassian muttered, almost to himself.

Suddenly, they both sucked in a sharp breath as the droid’s eye lights lit, and it began to speak in an all-too-familiar robotic monotone. 

“Battery...depleted.” It scratched, interference covering the sound. “ _ Rechargeee… _ ” Its voice skipped before the eye lights went out once again. 

“Is that...a Seperatist droid?” Cassian spoke after a few seconds. “What’s it still doing here?”

“I have absolutely no idea.” Ahsoka spoke softly. “But, we should take it with us. Maybe it has information that could be useful stored in its memory banks.”

Cassian nodded, and she handed the droid head to him, and he stumbled slightly after grabbing it, the weight of it taking him by surprise.

“Oh, good.” He muttered under his breath. “I get to carry it.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, albeit out of his view. “I can carry it,  _ Captain _ .” She spoke in a slightly annoyed tone, reaching out for it, but was surprised when he abruptly snatched it away.

Looking up at him, she saw him smirking at her. “I was just joking.” He spoke.

She smiled back at him with a small, breathy laugh, and they continued the rest of the way down the foothill, entering the empty city.

There was that sense of eeriness again, and now she  _ knew _ she wasn’t the only one feeling it. Cassian was casting his gaze quickly around his surroundings, his eyes darting from building to building, as if he was expecting and  _ waiting _ for trouble. Not that that prospect was too far off for the two of them.

They walked around for about a couple hours longer, taking care to enter and search each of the buildings, all of which were unlocked and looked to be hastily left. Distantly, she was reminded of the abandoned house that she and Rex had taken shelter in when they were on Abafar. What had made all these people leave so quickly?

Coming to the last of the small city blocks, they entered the final building just like they had all the rest, having formed a routine at this point, and began looking for  _ any _ clues as to what had happened here. This time though, Cassian took the lead, holding the droid head securely in his arms still, as if protecting it. He stepped through the door, Ahsoka on his heels, and they peered around the room. 

“Hello?” He called out into the darkness.

There was no answer. Just silence.

“Gods, it’s so...creepy.” He spoke.

Ahsoka nodded tentatively, agreeing wholeheartedly with his assessment. She still looked around though, hoping for  _ anything _ to come out of the deafening silence. She would even take an  _ enemy _ at this point.

She cast her gaze to the dim outline of a side room, and stepped in cautiously. What she saw made her heart stop momentarily.

All around the room were battle droids, like those used in the Clone Wars, hanging up all over the four walls of the small, dirty room. Based on her previous experiences, she was immediately thrust into fight-or-flight mode, and she quickly pulled out her saber, igniting it. Cassian had obviously heard this, and she heard him quickly rush into the room behind her, blaster drawn. 

“What the…” Cassian spoke slowly behind her after a few silent moments ticked by.

She turned to him and simply shook her head, before tentatively reaching out to touch one of the droids with her free hand, using her saber to cast the light towards it. 

They slowly realized that they were not in danger, however. All the droids appeared to be powered down. Suddenly, she felt slightly embarrassed about her immediate reaction, and flicked off her saber with a low hum. She heard Cassian laugh awkwardly, and she turned to him as he lowered his blaster back into his holster slowly. 

“I see I can always count on you, at least.” She spoke with a breathy laugh.

He chuckled at this before turning back toward the droids, and stepping forward to look at them.

“Maybe this is where the droid head we found came from.” He spoke softly, reaching out to touch one.

“Yeah, I think you’re right. But  _ why _ are they here?” She replied.

He simply shook his head, seemingly in disbelief. 

There was something deeply eerie about a room full of empty, lifeless droids. She knew there was no threat, but she couldn’t shake the feeling.

They both nearly jumped a mile as they heard the small chirp of Ahsoka’s comm. Regaining her breath, she quickly pulled it out of her belt. She expected it to be Bail, or maybe even Moran, offering further guidance. But as she looked down at the face of it, she felt her blood run cold. It was a message from Hera.

Now that, in and of itself, certainly didn’t scare her. She had kept in contact with Hera over the years, while fulfilling their roles with the Alliance. While she had not seen her in a while, they communicated very frequently, and Ahsoka was often the one to assign Hera and her Ghost crew new missions in her capacity as Fulcrum. In order to keep the secrecy, however, she had made Hera agree to only reveal her as Fulcrum to her crew and to Kanan, to minimize the risk of a leak. She trusted Hera’s crew, and from what she had heard about them, she liked them. But one could never be too careful these days.

No. What was terrifying was the message, somehow sent 12 hours ago.  _ How didn’t I see it? _ She thought.

_ Empire has Kanan. We need your help. Over. _

_ No _ , Ahsoka thought, fear coursing through her body.  _ Not Kanan _ .

Noticing her sudden shift, Cassian turned towards her. 

“Is everything okay?”

Dimly, Ahsoka realized the comm was shaking in her grip. 

“No…” She replied slowly, looking up to meet his eyes. She saw Cassian’s body tense as he waited to hear the news. “One of Captain Syndulla’s crew has been captured by the Empire.”

He nodded grimly. “Okay…” He said, expelling a breath and running his hand through his hair with his free hand, the other holding the droid head, before speaking again. “Okay, what do we do?”

“I need to get in touch with Hera, immediately. Let’s go back to the ship. I need you to comm Sato, and tell him we’re coming back.” She then hesitated for a beat, remembering acutely that they were here on a mission. Although it hadn’t been fruitful so far, she didn’t know what Cassian’s plan was, and they were a team, after all. She needed his input. 

“What do you think?” She breathed.

To her relief, Cassian nodded slowly, casting his gaze around him. “There’s nothing here, anyway.” 

She and Cassian both turned at the same moment, and began sprinting back through the desolate city towards the shuttle.

Reaching it after nearly an hour, they entered quickly, banging against the shuttle doors as they did so. Closing the doors behind them, Cassian set the droid head roughly down onto the floor, and rushed to the cockpit behind Ahsoka.

She was already seated, pulling the cloak she wore as Fulcrum on above her head. She knew Hera knew it was her, but she couldn’t risk revealing herself if the signal was hacked, or if one of her crew members was watching.

However, just as she was typing the Ghost address into the shuttle’s comm, she looked down to see an incoming request from Bail. She answered it quickly, and Bail’s hologram form sprung up from the dash.

“Fulcrum. Do you copy?”

“Yes. I need to talk to you, Senator. A member of Captain Syndulla’s forces has been captured by the Empire, and I am very worried for-”

Bail cut her off. “I know. Do you  _ also _ know that the Ghost crew has been transmitting anti-Imperial messages to the public on Lothal? Commander Sato and I have good reason to believe these transmissions have now attracted the attention, of the Empire.”

Ahsoka exhaled, feeling her throat tighten. “No.”

“Oh, yes.” Bail spoke exasperatedly. “I need both you and Captain Andor back from Geonosis,  _ now _ .  _ Please _ try to contact Captain Syndulla, and warn her. She either hasn’t received my communications, or has ignored them.”

Ahsoka nodded quickly, and ended the comm.

She then quickly moved to type in  _ The Ghost _ address into the ship’s comm, and Hera answered quickly, her figure silhouetted against the dusty backdrop of Geonosis behind the windshield. 

“Captain Syndulla.” Ahsoka spoke. “Tell me what happened.”

“Kanan was captured, and we think he’s being held on the  _ Sovereign _ .”

She froze. That was Grand Moff Tarkin’s ship. She realized that Cassian had certainly come to the same conclusion, as he froze in place beside her as well, a look of fear coloring his features. 

“Captain, this is  _ very _ important. You and our crew should not, under any circumstances, attempt to rescue Kanan. The Empire has  _ heard _ your broadcasts. You and your crew are in imminent danger. Kanan knew the risks he took, and-”

“But, he-”

“Captain Syndulla, no. It’s too dangerous. It could jeopardize the mission-”

Hera interrupted. “I don’t care! We need him, and-”

Ahsoka knew exactly what Hera meant by that. That  _ she _ needed him back. Ahsoka knew how close the two were. She had an immense respect for Hera, especially for the fact that she never left anyone behind. But with the Empire’s top ranks involved, it was different.

Ahsoka saw Cassian shake his head beside her, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

“I understand. I do. But you must listen, we can gather more Alliance forces. I will take this to command, and we will do whatever we need to do. But you  _ cannot _ take this into your own hands.”

While she’d never met Hera’s crew, and while she thought highly of them from what she’d heard, she knew that no one could break into the  _ Sovereign _ , much less  _ escape _ . Especially when Tarkin was involved. 

The connection began to break, and outside the windshield she saw the beginnings of a dust storm forming. Hera’s hologram form began to shake, and cut out intermittently before disappearing completely. Dimly, Ahsoka heard another crackled voice over the comm, sounding like that of a young female. 

“ _Hera_ ,” the voice spoke choppily, the interference drowning it out. “ _We have to get Kanan._ _We can’t trust- we shouldn’t have to...Fulcrum._ ”

“Captain Syndulla.” Ahsoka spoke pointedly. “I don’t know who is speaking, but it is  _ very _ important that you do not go after Kanan.”

A few seconds of static went by, before she heard Hera’s now choppy voice speak again. 

“ _ I have to _ .”

“Captain. I have to insist.” She spoke, with as much force as she could muster. She knew it couldn’t be easy. After all, when Rex or her former Master had been in trouble in the past, she’d never listened to warnings before rescuing them. She understood exactly what Hera was going through.

She heard nothing in response, only static. Then, after a few long moments, radio silence.

“No!” She shouted, slamming her fist on the dash, causing Cassian to jump.

She passed her hands over her face roughly, before shooting to her feet. 

“Cassian.” She said pointedly, quickly regaining her calm, steady sense. “Switch me. Fly us back to  _ Phoenix Home. _ I’m going to try to get back in touch with Bail, and hopefully he can reroute some forces, because I think they’re going to do it. We cannot let them, it’s a suicide mission.”

“I agree.” He spoke simply, climbing to his feet and stumbling against her in the cramped cockpit as he settled roughly into the pilot’s seat, flicking the controls on quickly. 

_ Hang on _ . She thought.  _ And don’t do something stupid. _

However, even with what little she knew about Hera’s  _ other _ crew members, especially the young Padawan called Ezra, she figured that was  _ exactly _ what they were going to do.

The dust storm that settled over Geonosis had quickly knocked out their shuttle’s comms, and thus Ahsoka had not been able to reach Bail for over two hours. So she had just been sitting in the copilot’s seat, bouncing her leg anxiously as she fiddled futilely with the controls, knowing there was nothing else she could do.

As it turned out,  _ Phoenix Home _ had flown a bit closer into their orbit, and they reached the command ship not ten minutes later.

Bursting out of the doors of the shuttle, Ahsoka took off running, her boots crashing noisily down the long white hallways of the ship, and Cassian followed close on her heels right to the control room. Stopping abruptly as she reached it, Ahsoka shoved the control room door open, it connected with the inside wall with a crash. She stood in the threshold, her hands holding the sides of the frame as Cassian accidentally knocked against her from behind as she quickly stopped. 

She saw Bail and Sato look up from the holo table with surprise at the noise. 

“Senator Organa, we think that Captain Syndulla is planning to go after Kanan Jarrus. We-” Cassian exclaimed from behind her as she caught her breath. 

He interrupted him. “Say no more, they already  _ did _ . Their droid is here. He contacted us earlier requesting backup. Cassian, I need you to man communications, and potentially stop any further leaks of information.” He spoke authoritatively. 

Nodding, Cassian left his place behind Ahsoka and rushed down to the communications room. 

“Ahsoka, listen-” Bail spoke.

_ Is the Alliance just going to abandon them? _ She thought, anger rising in her throat.  _ No way. Not on my watch _ .

“Bail, we  _ have _ to save them. We  _ cannot  _ leave them-” She spoke, indignation filtering through her voice. She was almost ready to panic.

“ _ Ahsoka _ .” He spoke pointedly.

She looked at him questioningly. He spoke again. “I was  _ going _ to say, while their message  _ has _ gotten the attention of the Empire, it’s also gotten the attention of...the people. I am happy to say, they have inspired a new hope today.”

Her tone immediately shifted. She couldn’t help but smile.  _ It’s just like Hera _ , she thought fondly. Oh, how she missed her friend.

“I already have forces ready in the bay, and waiting for your command, Ahsoka. Bring them home.” He spoke resolutely.

Ahsoka breathed out before turning and leaving the threshold, running down to the outgoing bay. There, she found what had come to be known as the Phoenix Squadron waiting, the dozens of crew members standing in front of their respective Liberator ships, their hands held in front of them. 

Ahsoka wasted no time.

“You all have your orders.” She exclaimed to the crew, gesturing in front of her. “We are to get the Ghost crew out safely. Their last known position is in the Mustafar system. We don’t have long. I will be in contact from the control room of the command ship. We get them home safe. Let’s move! Go, go, go!” 

With that, the members of the squadron snappily saluted, before springing into action, clambering into the multiple Liberator fighter ships, and swiftly igniting their massive engines. Ahsoka rushed over to the command ship, whose pilot extended the ramp for her, and she quickly entered, taking her natural place with the pilot and crew in the cockpit.

“You’re clear.” She spoke firmly, her hand resting on the back of the seat, adrenaline coursing through her veins. The pilot nodded resolutely and then guided the massive ship out of the  _ Phoenix Home _ hanger, following slowly but closely behind the small legion of Liberators, their orange lights standing stark against the darkness of space. The view quickly became obscured however, as the pilot made the jump into hyperspace, the lights streaking past the window.

Ahsoka simply gazed out into the vast space, thinking.

_ Just hang on. _

After a few minutes that felt like hours, they were jolted out of hyperspace, and Ahsoka saw the all too familiar outline of the Ghost floating out in front of them.

“There!” She exclaimed, pointing her hand toward the windshield, in front of the pilot’s view.

After that, she grabbed her comm roughly from her belt, holding it up to her face.

“Gold Leader, take out those TIE’s. Blue Leader,  _ protect that ship _ . We’re picking them up!”

In response, she heard a small chorus of affirmatives. With that, her small legion opened fire into the TIE fighters, destroying them with ease, and she felt no small amount of pride for her team. With nothing to do but wait, she watched the Ghost float closer towards her ship.

“Hang on.” She whispered under her breath. 

The Ghost inched agonizingly closer and closer to her Liberator command ship, until she heard the familiar, and  _ welcome _ , hissing sound of a ship docking.

“We’ve got them.” She said firmly to the pilot, excitement infusing her voice. “Get us out of here.” 

“Yes, sir.” He replied.

After she spoke, she couldn’t help but lean back and smile. Her friends were safe.

At her command, the pilot initiated the hyperspace drive, throwing the ship roughly forward into space. It was only minutes before the fleet reached  _ Phoenix Home _ , and all the ships docked into the bay, which seemed to her, to be in record time. With that, she felt the sudden lurch of the massive head ship shooting into hyperspace, escaping the grasp of the Empire yet again. It all happened so  _ fast _ .

Breathing out, she leaned forward to place her hand on the pilot’s shoulder. 

“Great job, as usual.” She spoke with a smile.

“Thank you, Commander.”

Breathing out, she turned on her heel and strode out of the cockpit, her boot heels clicking as she made her way down the Liberator’s halls and out into the bay of the main ship.

She made her way across the bay, and saw the Ghost parked adjacent to her ship, now unhooked from it. Smiling, she sped up her pace to reach it, and quickly opened the main hatch, crawling inside. Her breath hitched in her throat as excitement coursed through her veins. She and Hera were finally meeting again in person, after all these years. She was finally seeing  _ Kanan _ after all these years. And meeting their crew for the first time! She couldn’t wait.

She felt herself get even more excited as she heard Hera’s familiar voice speaking out to her crew. “... _ that was the Protocol _ .”

Steeling herself, she climbed down the ladder into the main room. 

“The protocol has changed!” Ahsoka exclaimed as she descended, coming face to face with Hera and Kanan for the first time in years, taking in her crew with wide eyes.

“Fulcrum.” Hera breathed, a smile playing over her features. She looked just as excited.

“Ahsoka. My name is Ahsoka Tano.” She replied, introducing herself to the crew, who stood gawking at her from behind Hera.

Kanan, for his part, looked absolutely floored. She couldn’t help but smirk as he stammered out, “Why...why did you come here?”

“Because of you, and your apprentice. Many in this system and beyond have heard your message. You gave them hope in their darkest times. We didn’t want that hope to die.” She spoke softly while leaning down to stroke Chopper, not forgetting to greet him, too.

“So, what happens now?” The blue-haired boy in front of her asked, his young voice seemingly all-business. So this was the Padawan. She liked this kid already.

She stood to her feet. “I don’t know. One chapter has closed for you, Ezra Bridger. This is a new day. A new beginning.”

She saw Ezra smile, and she smiled back. 

Suddenly, Kanan spoke up.

“Uhh, Hera? Ahsoka? Can we...talk for just a minute?”

Hera quirked a slight smile at Ahsoka, before turning to Kanan and nodding, grabbing his shoulder to lead him away to a side room. Ahsoka followed, the rest of the Ghost crew parting around her. She gave them nods and smiles as she made her way through them and into the room with Kanan and Hera.

Kanan ran a hand through his hair while looking at Ahsoka. “Listen...I, uhh, how did you-” he stammered, before suddenly rushing forward and pulling her into a tight, chaste hug, which she readily returned.

“ _ You’re _ Fulcrum?” He spoke, astounded, pulling away from her.

Ahsoka simply nodded, a smile covering her features from ear to ear.

“Did you know about this?” Kanan said, turning to Hera, who simply smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

“You know...I can’t even be mad. Gods, I’m just glad you’re back.” He spoke warmly.

Dimly, Ahsoka became aware of a small figure peering around the corner, watching the proceedings intently.

_ Ezra _ , she thought with a breathy laugh. She turned towards him with a smirk, but he immediately ducked back behind the wall. 

_ Smooth _ , she thought.

“I think my apprentice would like to meet you.” Kanan spoke with a laugh.

“Ezra, you can come in.” Hera called out, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

But what had at first seemed to be just Ezra, turned out to be Ezra, along with a tall, thin girl wearing rather  _ colorful _ Mandalorian armor, and a Lasat all emerging from behind the wall. 

“So...I’m Ezra.” Ezra spoke pluckily, approaching her and squaring his shoulders before extending his small hand.

She readily took it, giving it a shake. “I know exactly who you are, young one.” She spoke warmly with a slight laugh. He smiled at this, casting his gaze to the floor.

“And this is Sabine, and that’s Jarazeb, Zeb for short.” Ezra spoke, looking up and gesturing to the other two respectively.

“Kid, you  _ know _ it’s Garazeb.” The Lasat muttered under his breath, to which Ezra just smirked.

Ahsoka had to laugh at that.

“It’s really great to finally meet you all.” Ahsoka said, shaking each of their hands. “Garazeb.” She emphasized while shaking Zeb’s hand, to which he returned her smile.

The Ghost crew stood in the common room, talking about nothing in particular before turning in for the night.

Ahsoka was glad she found them again.

About a week later, after she had gotten the chance to get back in touch with Cassian, the two of them decided that what information they had gathered from both Moran’s mission and their mission to Geonosis indicated that it wasn’t a suitable area for a new Rebel base, and that the Geonosians were gone.

And that’s how she found herself, in a meeting with Bail, Sato, and the Ghost crew, still on the subject of possible base locations. Their voices became monotone, flowing together as she leaned against the wall, simply observing the proceedings as little strings of ideas floated across her mind absently. It was moments like these that she really missed Rex. Being so familiar with the Outer Rim, his immense knowledge would really come in handy right now.

She smiled fondly at his memory.

Suddenly, she froze.

_ The droid head _ , she thought.  _ Oh, my gods. _

When she and Cassian had taken apart its databank after they got back, they had realized that it still had the majority of its memory from the Clone War. Now that she reflected,  _ tons _ of memory. Likely including information on the Republic Clone Captains...and their present locations. 

She didn’t know if she should seek Rex out. She didn’t think she could live with herself if she were to convince him to conscript into the Rebellion, and he were to get hurt or even killed. The fighting was getting worse every day. 

Ahsoka began to worry about the other possibility. What if he didn’t want to be bothered? What if he didn’t even want to see her? But...what if he did offer his help, but didn’t come back? What if they reunited, only for him to not come back with her? Her mind raced with the possibilities- she didn’t know what she would do. 

But as she cast her gaze to her team around the holotable, she realized they needed help.  _ His _ kind of help.

But how could she face him, after all these years? The thought of seeing him again terrified her and elated her at the same time. But she couldn’t go. She wasn’t scared of much at all, but this was different. Would he even  _ remember _ her? 

_ Oh gods _ , she thought.

She had to stay behind.  _ For both our sakes _ , she thought. But was that really true? She thought to herself. Or was it just for hers?

Shaking her head, as if to chase away the unwanted thoughts, she refocused. She would send Kanan, and the Ghost crew. She knew that Kanan was  _ tense _ , to say the least, where clones were concerned. But with the rest of the crew with him, he would be just fine...hopefully. 

Coming to a decision, she cleared her throat, and Sato and the Ghost crew looked at her questioningly.

“I have an idea.”

\-------------------------------------------------------

Rex sat at the table with Wolffe, playing yet another game of Sabacc, the interior of the cabin bathed in the morning light. It had been yet another uneventful day on what he and his brothers affectionately referred to as Joopa base. Gregor sat in the corner of the room, playing a game on a handheld device Rex had picked up for him on one of their trips to the local market.

Looking towards Gregor, he laughed breathily at the memory of the origin story of the game device. It hadn’t  _ exactly _ been for sale, as the market shopkeeper had been playing on it himself while he and Gregor were looking for new produce to buy for the base. After seeing it in the shopkeeper’s hands, Gregor had begun telling Rex a story of a similar device he had when he lived on Abafar, and how it really helped the time go by when he was bored. This conversation then launched into a twenty minute rambling about every intricate detail of the game, and just how much fun it was.

Rex listened.

After Gregor had headed back to Joopa base with the food, Rex had told him he’d needed to stay behind, to pick up a replacement part for the walker. Gregor didn’t question him. Rex had then headed right back to the store, and convinced the shopkeeper to sell him the device. At quite the markup, of course.

Naturally, Gregor hadn’t put it down since.

Running his hand through his beard, he smirked before flicking down a particularly devastating pair of Sabacc cards on to the table. The smirk then spread into a wide smile as Wolffe sighed, throwing his cards down in anger.

“I’m playing with Gregor, next time.” Wolffe spoke. Rex laughed.

It was a simple life on Seelos. And he had to say he liked it.

Drawn from his reflection, he became aware of a droning noise coming from outside. Sighing, he drew himself to his feet, knowing it was likely the drive shaft acting up again. It was always a fight with that thing.

Listening closer though, he realized it was the sound of an engine. His brothers seemed to realize this precisely when he did, and the two of them jumped stealthily to their feet, pausing after doing so to listen intently to the noise. Rex crossed the room to pull the control lever, bringing the walker to a full stop to isolate the noise.

He felt an alarm go off in the back of his mind. It had to be the Empire.

While the clones were officially decommissioned, or as his brothers referred to it,  _ thrown away _ , the three of them still lived under the same threat as the rest of the galaxy. Meaning, it was certainly not a welcome sound. The Empire had given  _ him _ plenty of trouble before, after all. However, he had tried to convince his brothers, especially Wolffe, that they no longer had anything to fear.

But as he heard the droning noise come to a stop outside, he began to reevaluate how true that statement was.

“We’re good, guys. Let's just see what they want.” Rex spoke softly, while peering out the glass window at the shuttle. It certainly didn’t  _ look _ Imperial. Puzzled, Rex spoke again.

“Let me do the talking.”

Gregor and Wolffe nodded, grabbing their blaster rifles from the rack in the cabin and coming to stand behind Rex. Rex breathed in, before sliding open the door and stepping outside into the bright sunlight, squinting his eyes down at their visitors. In front of him stood a lanky man, two teenagers, one of them seemingly  _ some _ kind of a Mandalorian, and a Lasat.

His first thought was,  _ they certainly don’t look like much. Well, except for that Lasat. _

“Pfft,” he heard the Lasat speak. “Just a bunch of old geezers.”

“Well armed old geezers.” The girl spoke sarcastically. 

_ Hey, kid, I’m only 24 _ , Rex thought indignantly in the back of his mind.

“What do you want?” He called out. He had no idea who they were, and didn't particularly want to find out.

“We’re looking for someone!” The man called out, his stance wary. He seemed to be just as disconcerted at their presence as they were.

He felt Wolffe’s body tense next to him. “That’s too bad, there's nobody out here.”

Typically, Rex would assume they were lost, and try to help. Usually people weren’t on Seelos voluntarily. But he could tell Wolffe was beginning to become very uneasy, and he didn’t want to cause him to have a breakdown. He was just about to send them on their way when the young blue-haired boy spoke up.

“Does the number 7567 mean anything to you?” He called up to them.

Rex felt his stomach drop. His words seemed to have the same effect on his brothers. 

“ _ What did you just say _ ?” He spoke derisively. 

“I said...I’m sorry, I said 7567.” 

Dimly, he got the feeling that this shy kid couldn’t possibly mean him any harm. 

“Why, I haven't heard those digits in…” He spoke tentatively, all the memories, good and bad, of the Clone Wars floating back to him. Clearing his throat, he spoke again. “That’s my birth number.”

“Birth number?” The boy questioned. Rex didn’t blame him- the kid probably wasn’t even alive then. He was about to explain when the man suddenly pulled out a saber, igniting it.

“They’re clones!” He exclaimed, coming to stand in front of the boy.

Rex assumed his battle stance instantly, and pulled out his blaster, stepping in front of his brothers. This wasn’t going to end well. 

“Kanan, wait, stop!” The boy called out frantically, trying to stop him. Rex was just about to tell everyone involved to keep things calm, but suddenly Wolffe shouted from next to him, pulling out his rifle.

“The Jedi have come for revenge!”

“Drop the blaster!” The Lasat called to him, pointing his own large rifle back at them.

Obviously Wolffe’s actions had gotten Gregor riled up as well, and he spoke up. 

“Don’t try it boy-o, I’ll gun ya down!”

_ No, no, no _ , Rex thought frantically. He could see  _ exactly _ how this was going to play out.

“Stand down troopers, stand down  _ now _ , that's an order!” He commanded sharply, jerking their weapons from their hands.

“But he's a Jedi! They're Jedi!” Wolffe panicked.

“I know, I  _ know, _ but they aren't the ones that betrayed us, remember? Wolffe, remember.” He spoke as calmly as he could, the last statement more of a command than anything.

“Kanan, Ahsoka said to trust them.” He heard the boy speak quietly.

For a moment, all time seemed to stop, and his heart froze in place in his chest. Did that kid say... _ Ahsoka _ ?

Rex stammered. “S-Sorry about the weapons malfunction! My friend here is a little defensive. See, we haven't seen a Jedi since…” He spoke, remembering the Order, and the memories and the fear flooded back immediately, as if it was happening at that moment. “Well, it's been awhile.” He finished weakly.

_ What the  _ hell _ is happening right now _ ? He thought to himself.

The boy didn’t seem phased by him and his brother’s obvious reluctance. 

“Well, my name’s Ezra, this is Kanan, that’s Sabine and Zeb, it’s nice to meet you, uh, 7567.” He spoke in a plucky tone, gesturing to each of them in turn. The Jedi certainly didn’t look thrilled to be there, but the other two gave a wave.

“Actually...my name is Rex, Captain, 501st Clone Battalion. Meet Commanders, Gregor, and Wolffe.” He spoke, gesturing weakly to them.

At this, Gregor waved giddily. He never stayed mad at anyone for long. Wolffe just stared down at them.

Ezra smiled. “We were sent by Ahsoka Tano.”

“Ahsoka Tano.” Rex echoed, somewhat wistfully. He saw Wolffe roll his eyes beside him. Clearing his throat and quickly regaining his commanding tone, he continued. “I served by her side in the Clone Wars.”

So, he did hear the kid right. Rex hadn’t even heard her  _ name _ in years. Although, not for lack of thinking about her. On hearing Ahsoka sent them, he finally concluded they weren’t a threat. He couldn’t say he  _ knew _ Ahsoka anymore, but he liked to think she wouldn’t put him in danger.

But, why hadn’t she commed ahead? Commed,  _ ever _ ? He would've reached out to her himself, except for the fact that his comm had somehow deleted her address from the log, along with a couple others, many years ago. He’d chalked it up to a bug, thinking that  _ she’d _ eventually comm  _ him _ and then he would have her address again. But, she never did. 

There was time to think about that later, he supposed. These guys obviously needed  _ something _ .

“A friend of hers is a friend of mine.” He called down to them. “Come on in.”

Over the course of the day, he and his brothers had quickly gotten to know the ragtag lot of them. Turns out, Ahsoka had sent them to come retrieve some of Rex’s knowledge of the Outer Rim. More specifically, locations out of reach of the Empire that could serve as possible bases for the Alliance. Having a deep respect for Ahsoka, and decidedly none for the Empire, he’d compiled a list of coordinates of planets he knew the Rebellion would likely be safe on. In fact, he was happy to help. It felt good to have a purpose, however small. 

However, Ezra had later told him that Ahsoka had also sent them to bring him back.

Rex had been absolutely floored. She sent for him? The very thought of seeing her again both terrified and elated him. He had to admit, he wanted to go, to help her. But what would he even  _ say _ to her at this point? She’d almost certainly moved on from him. The thought stung him slightly, but he quickly brushed it off. It had been years. Besides, she was reaching out to him as a Commander, and in that capacity only. Otherwise, she would’ve met with him personally, and likely, years ago.

Still, his mind continued, as if taunting him. What if she  _ hadn’t _ moved on? Even then, he thought, there’s no way he could go. He had aged quickly, likely much faster than her. He figured she was likely around 30, in the prime of her life. He was biologically hovering somewhere around middle aged. There was no  _ way _ she’d want to be with him now. Not for the first time, he damned the advanced aging mechanic in his body.

The conclusion was, either way, he couldn’t go back. Either she’d want to be with him, and he’d be forced to turn her down. Or...she wouldn’t. And frankly, he didn’t really know if he could handle that.

The other sticking point was, aside from complicated feelings for her, Order 66 had brought up  _ other _ new feelings in his life. Including the fact that he felt could no longer fight. He could, and would, defend and protect, but he didn’t know if he felt he was ready to die for another war.

Plus, he knew his brothers would never go back to a war. Especially Wolffe. They likely wouldn’t even consider it. Not that he faulted them at  _ all _ for it. He was feeling a semblance of the same way, after all. He couldn’t leave them.

So, he’d turned Ezra down on the subject of returning, but he still offered his help with the coordinates. Therefore, he’d gotten the chance to get to know each of them briefly throughout the day, and they were sure characters. Gregor had gotten on especially well with the Lasat, Zeb. In fact, they seemed to be different copies of the same person. 

Gregor and the so-called Ghost crew had spent the day hunting for Joopa, and Zeb had apparently been a great help. When Gregor had told him exactly what role Zeb played in the hunt, Rex had smacked him upside the head. 

“You could’ve killed him!” He had said sharply.

But later on, he realized that it seemed the Lasat was not bothered by this one bit. So he eventually let it go. Rex had also gotten on great with the girl, Sabine. She seemed just as capable in a fight as him and any one of his brothers, if not more so. 

The Jedi, on the other hand, well there, he wasn’t sure. He completely understood his apprehension and fear of him and his brothers, but so far they had shown them nothing but hospitality. Well, except for the first couple minutes. But Kanan, in turn, had shown them all nothing but derision. Rex knew it was unfair to expect, but he did really wish Kanan would cut it out.

Although the kid, Ezra, had proven himself to be tough, skilled, and determined. But most importantly, he was also kind hearted. He was open minded, understanding, and hopeful. Plus, he had a smart mouth, but seemingly also had the skills to back it up. He reminded him of Anakin. In short, upon meeting him, Rex immediately knew why Ahsoka had seemingly taken a liking to him.

Now, nearing the end of the day he stood, watching the sunset. He had just given Sabine the log of possible coordinates, and she had gone in to collect them. Rex now stood talking with the boy. 

“You were brave today, kid. You jumped right in there to help.” Rex spoke, gently setting his hand on his shoulder and giving it a shake. Ezra smiled at him. In his eyes, Rex saw that same spark that Anakin once had. He spoke again. 

“A great Jedi once told me that the best leaders lead by example. You do that well.”

“Thanks.” Ezra replied. “You know, I’ve learned from a great Jedi, too. Kanan.” He spoke, gesturing over to the man who now stood with his back to them, staring off into the horizon. 

“Mmm.” Rex replied, nodding slightly. “You know, I don’t think he likes me. Or ever will.” He chuckled ruefully. Suddenly, he felt a deep sadness settle into his body. 

“Can’t say I blame him- war left its scars on all of us.”

“Won’t you reconsider joining us?” The boy asked for seemingly the hundredth time. 

Rex sighed. “You know, I’ve outserved my purpose for that kind of fighting. After the war, I questioned the purpose of the whole thing. All those men died, and for what?” He closed his eyes briefly, remembering them.

“I guess, what they thought was right.” Ezra spoke hesitantly, looking up at him.

Rex thought about himself, and all his brothers, and how they had fought and died to keep the people of the Republic safe. And even after the Order, after everything that had happened, he knew he would do it all again. And so would any of his brothers.

_ Gods, he’s right _ , Rex thought. The kid had just summed up years of his feelings in one sentence.  _ He’s certainly not making this easy.  _

Suddenly, Rex was drawn from his thoughts by the door crashing against the frame, and Sabine stepping roughly outside.

“The clones gave us up! They warned the Empire that we’re here!” Sabine exclaimed, fury infusing her voice.

_ What the hell is she talking about _ ? Rex thought, feeling more than a little insulted at the assumption that he’d betray them.

“Wait, what?” Ezra said, hurt coloring his tone as he looked at Rex.

Rex quickly reassured the boy, shaking his head before turning back to Sabine. 

“You're mistaken! We would never do that!” He replied, reaching for the tape, but Sabine jerked it out of his reach.

“Oh, I  _ found _ the binary transmission to the Empire. And, there were messages Ahsoka sent to Rex, and he never answered her!” She spoke derisively, looking him straight in the eye.

Abruptly, he felt all his blood run cold. Ahsoka had messaged him?  _ When _ ?

_ Oh my gods _ , he thought.  _ Ahsoka. _

“ _ What _ ?” Rex breathed out in disbelief, his heart beating quickly. “I, I never got any messages from her!”

“I knew it!” Kanan yelled, striding over to stand in front of them, gesturing wildly. “I  _ told _ you they can't be trusted!” 

“Kanan, wait! Is this true?” Ezra spoke softly, the last line directed towards Rex.

Rex heard the kid, but his mind was still racing with the revelation that Ahsoka had messaged him. How hadn’t he seen the messages? Forcing himself to focus on the situation at hand, he looked down at Ezra. What was going on? He knew he didn’t report them, but who did? Thoughts rushed through his head, almost deafening. Dimly though, his mind went quiet, and he felt a horrible sinking feeling settle into his stomach. Suddenly, everything made sense.

But he didn’t want to believe it.

“Wolffe…” He said slowly, his back to him. He turned to him, and spoke in a low, dangerous tone. “What did you do?”

Wolffe hesitated before speaking. “I...I contacted the Empire. If they found out that we were helping Jedi they’d wipe us out!” He said, bordering on hysterical.

“I wanted to protect you guys. Protect our squad!” He continued, as if trying to rationalize his actions, almost to himself.

Rex felt like screaming. But he didn't. “The war is  _ over _ ! We are  _ free _ men! We can't live under the fear of the Empire the rest of our lives, Wolffe! That's not freedom!” He yelled.

To his surprise, Wolffe gave in, as if suddenly forced to come to terms with everything from the weight of his mistake. “You're right, they're not our enemy. I’m sorry.”

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a deafening metallic crashing sound, and Rex heard Sabine scream for Kanan as an Imperial probe burst out from behind the walker, shooting wildly at all of them. Kanan sprung into action, chasing the probe quickly down the deck and under the walker. 

Rex instinctively reached to put his arm in front of Ezra to shield him from the shots, but turned to see that he was already running down the deck towards Kanan. In the chaos, Rex turned back to where Wolffe stood behind him, seemingly bolted to the ground.

“ _ Sorry _ doesn’t even begin to cut it. You have no idea what you’ve done.” Rex spoke. “We'll talk about this later.” He finished coldly, before rushing away.

Rex sprinted over to the lookout, Wolffe close behind him, and watched the probe retreat into the distance. Suddenly, he heard Ezra speak up from behind him.

“Rex!” He called out. He turned to face him, raising a brow. “You gotta make this right.”

Rex took the huge blaster rifle that Gregor extended toward him, hoisting it onto his strong shoulder.

_ Hopefully I’ve still got it _ , he thought dimly. With that, he aimed carefully, squinting at the droid, before pulling the trigger and watching as the bolt sailed through the air, before impaling the probe droid, bringing it roughly down to the ground.

“Yes!” Ezra exclaimed, entirely too excited in light of the situation.

“Nice shot.” Sabine said. Coming from a Mandalorian, that really meant everything.

Rex looked Kanan in the eye as he turned to look at him, and with that Rex followed him, along with Zeb, Ezra, and Sabine down to where the probe laid in a broken metallic pile on the ground, its metal shell still smoking.

“How long has it been watching?” Ezra spoke tentatively.

“Long enough.” Kanan sighed. “How's the Phantom?”

Sabine spoke up. “Engine took a direct hit. We’re not going anywhere until I can fix it.”

“Wait, you mean we're stranded?” Ezra said.

“Yup,” Rex sighed. “...and the Empire’s on its way.”

He could feel the tenseness of the situation acutely. But he continued. 

“Don’t worry. We’re here to help you. Let’s...let’s get back to base, and we’ll figure out a plan.” Rex spoke, running a worn hand over his face. 

“Thanks, Rex.” Ezra spoke, looking up at him. Rex nodded, the slight hint of a smile on his face.

“ _ Don’t worry? _ ” Kanan responded incredulously. “Great advice, Cap, thanks.”

Rex rolled his eyes, out of view of the Jedi. “We’ll figure it out.” He replied firmly, turning away from him and back towards the base.

It was a short walk back, and Rex felt his body stiffen as he approached and saw Wolffe, standing there waiting for him on the deck. He squinted at him dangerously, before speaking to the others in a detached, cold voice.

“Excuse Wolffe and I, for just one moment.” He spoke to the Ghost crew, but still looking right at Wolffe. 

Rex all but stomped up the platform, bumping harshly against Wolffe purposely as he did so, and strode into one of the side rooms. Wolffe turned and followed.

“Oh, no...” Gregor spoke slowly, seeming to pick up on the tense situation, and rushed clumsily into the room after them, grabbing the door behind them.

“Oh, that’s not suspicious at all.” Kanan muttered.

“Hey, uh, guys!” Gregor called out from behind them. “I’m not sure now is the right time-”

As he reached the two of them, he shut the door behind them, and Rex expelled a breath he’d been holding before suddenly seeming to explode.

“What the  _ fuck  _ have you  _ done _ , Wolffe?!” He yelled. “You hid messages from me,  _ my _ messages, from Ahsoka! I- I cannot  _ believe _ you would do something like this! And now, oh,  _ now _ , you’ve called the  _ Empire _ here,  _ on purpose _ , and you have put  _ all _ our lives in jeopardy, including that young kid’s and that girl’s!” He spoke, gesturing wildly to where the Ghost crew was in the main cabin, drawing closer and closer to him as he continued, looking him right in the eye.

“Rex, calm down.” Gregor cautioned softly. 

“No!” Rex shouted, startling the both of them. “No,  _ he _ needs to answer for himself.” He finished in a scarily calm voice, pointing his finger at Wolffe.

Rex loved Wolffe like a brother. Well, he  _ was,  _ after all. But, in that moment, he could’ve  _ killed _ him.

“Captain, you told me the  _ day _ you met me, you were wanted by the Empire! How in the hell was I supposed to know that that crew isn't a threat! I had to do something! I couldn’t let anything happen to you,  _ especially _ not because of those two  _ Jedi _ !” Wolffe shouted derisively.

He calmed down slowly, before speaking so quietly Rex could barely hear. “Rex, you’re right. We’re free. I didn’t realize it soon enough, but you’re right. I...I just wanted to protect you. All of us. From Ahsoka, from the Empire, from everything. You two are all I have left. I just did what I thought was right. You have to believe me, I didn’t ever mean to hurt any of you.  _ Gods _ , Rex, I’m  _ so _ sorry.”

Rex felt his ire abruptly drain away.

His eyes cast down to the floor, Wolffe ran his hand through his hair, before speaking again, almost to himself.

“What have I done?”

Rex exhaled sharply as if in surrender, before laying his hand on Wolffe’s shoulder, and squeezing it to force him to look him in eye.

“I understand, Wolffe. I’m…” He breathed deeply. “I’m sorry, too. I’m not...I’m not mad at you. Wolffe, it’s  _ okay _ . But-”

Wolffe looked up at him hesitantly. 

“But we need to make this right. And right now.” Rex spoke resolutely.

Wolffe just nodded. Rex’s constant use of the word ‘we’ had always made him feel less alone. It had the same effect today, but now more than ever.

Deep down, Rex understood why he did it. He didn’t need to be angry with him. Besides, Wolffe was already punishing himself, and probably a lot more than anyone else could ever dish out.

So instead, Rex drew him into a brief hug, slapping his shoulders lightly with his palm before releasing him. With that, the three of them left the room, Rex leading the way back into the main cabin.

Zeb and Ezra looked up at the clones as they entered the room. Ezra opened his mouth to speak, but Rex quickly cut him off.

“Here they are, the coordinates of every Republic base, Separatist installation, pirate hideout, and smuggler’s den in the Outer Rim.”

“Plus, a few Mandalorian bases that even they've forgotten about.” Wolffe added quietly.

“Thank you, Captain. Sure you won't come with us?” Ezra asked.

Wolffe looked up at Rex, half expecting him to say no, that he would be coming.

“Yeah, you're not bad in a fight.” said Zeb, punching Gregor’s shoulder playfully. 

“Like I said, our war is over, kid. Oh, and say hello to Commander Tano for me.” Rex spoke.

Gregor cast a glance at him. “Captain, aren’t you going to-” Rex cut him off with a shake of his head.

Seeming not to have heard Gregor, Ezra spoke again, seemingly dismayed at their choice to stay. 

“But the Empire is on its way, and they will find you.”

Rex simply handed the log to Ezra, to send him on his way. He knew the Empire was coming, but he wasn’t afraid anymore. Something told him Wolffe was no longer afraid, either. Gregor, to his credit, had never been.

“We can more than handle ourselves. Right, boys?” He spoke, looking to Gregor and Wolffe, who nodded in reply. They always had.

“If they follow procedure, they’ll fly search patterns based on our last confirmed position.” He continued, speaking this time to the Ghost crew.

“Or they’ll call! Incoming Imperial transmission, it’s for you, Wolffe.” Gregor spoke in a sing-song voice.

“They called back? They never call back.” Wolffe spoke incredulously.

Rex looked over at Wolffe, half expecting him to be intensely nervous about talking to the Empire, or even refuse to do it. But he didn’t. Instead, he carried himself confidently over to the comm system and flicked it on. He  _ definitely _ wasn’t afraid anymore. Rex was proud of him.

“See? This is why I don’t trust clones.” Kanan spoke snidely. The three just ignored him.

“Just get rid of them, Wolffe.” Ezra said flippantly before striding out of the main cabin.

Rex observed as Wolffe talked to Kallus, albeit awkwardly. He never was a very good liar. When Kallus requested their coordinates, Rex had no choice but to jump in.

“It must be my old cybernetic eye, acting up again.” Wolffe chuckled awkwardly.

Rex joined him, wrapping his arm around his shoulder cavalierly, as if to offer silent support to him. “Sorry for wasting your time,” he said in an unbothered tone he just  _ knew _ would rub Kallus the wrong way. Though, to his immediate alarm, Kallus spoke again in a cold, detached tone, only fitting for one of the Empire’s  _ finest _ .

“Surrender the Rebels or be destroyed.” He said simply.

Rex felt a surge of anger course through his veins. He thought about all the Empire had cost him. His love, his purpose, and nearly his life. They had taken everything from him, from everyone. No, they wouldn’t be winning this fight, if it was the last thing he ever did. 

_ This is going to be fun _ , he thought to himself.

“If it's a fight you want, I hope you brought a better class of soldier than those storm troopers.” He spoke derisively.

“They serve the Empire well, and I have a great many of them.”

Rex didn’t even hesitate. “You're gonna need all of them.” He spoke lowly, before flicking off the comm.

“They found us!” He heard Sabine yell from the back. And for the first time in years, he lapsed back into Captain mode.

“Battle stations!” He spoke firmly, and Gregor and Wolffe shot into action, and his mind was transported back to his days in the GAR almost immediately. They were ready.

Above the walker on the roof, he heard Kanan and Ezra shouting to one another.

“What about the walker?” He heard the boy shout above him, his voice muffled.

“It can take a hit, I think!” The Jedi replied hesitantly.

_ It most definitely cannot _ , Rex thought to himself with a small laugh as he, Wolffe, and Gregor climbed up to the top of the walker to join them in the fight.

As he watched his men fighting alongside the Ghost crew, it reminded him of old times. Of better times. He couldn’t help but think this was how it was all supposed to turn out. He had always liked to believe that one day, they would exact their revenge, and take back what had been taken from the three of them by the Empire. Today was that day. 

And he wouldn’t want to fight with anyone else. He watched Ezra, Wolffe, Sabine, Gregor, Kanan, and Zeb, and felt whole again. He had a purpose again. They all did.

They bravely fought the few Imperial forces to a stand still, and Rex now stood next to Ezra, giving him a rundown of the walker controls as the kid sat in the control seat as Sabine worked on their shuttle. He was telling him all about Anakin, and how they served together in the Clone Wars, and how much Ezra reminded him of the great Jedi. In another life, Rex could see wanting to be a mentor to this kid. 

Dimly though, he became aware of a massive sandstorm heading their way, but paid it no mind. It would be awhile before it reached them.

He was about to speak up about it when he heard Sabine’s voice, calling out from the Phantom.

“With any luck, we should be good to go!” She called, wrench still in her hands. Rex was highly impressed; the Mandalorian girl was damn resourceful. He would’ve expected the wrecked state that shuttle engine was in to take at least a day to fix. 

He was about to ask how she did something like that, but Ezra cut him off.

“We can’t just leave Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor here.” 

Rex felt his respect for the kid grow even more, if that was possible. 

“Well, the Empire is here because of us. We’ll deal with the consequences.” Rex replied. He couldn’t get the kid mixed up in this.

“Wait, listen.” Zeb spoke, his tone slightly wavering. This set off alarms in Rex’s head. If the Lasat was scared, it had to be something bad. As if on cue, he heard Wolffe speak up as well.

“Enemy contact, point 2.4.” He spoke.

“They look like Imperial walkers.” Rex replied, and Wolffe grabbed a pair of binoculars from the deck, and zeroed in on the large machines.  _ Gods _ , Rex thought.  _ Those are huge _ .

“How many legs they got?” Rex asked.

“Four.” Wolffe replied.

“Four?” Rex replied in disbelief. “How have they not fallen over?”

He grabbed the binoculars from Wolffe, and looked through them himself. He’d never seen anything like these. “Reinforced armor plating, heavy cannons, anti-personnel blasters.” He spoke, as if to himself.

“I'm glad you guys are so excited, but those giant death machines are here to blow us to bits!” Ezra exclaimed exasperatedly, gesturing wildly. 

_ Excited isn’t the word I’d use, kid _ , Rex thought to himself.

Suddenly, he was reminded of the sandstorm. He knew a Jedi wouldn't be blinded by it. It was their only shot. It was an impossible idea- but it would have to work. Although, if there was anything he learned during his time with Anakin and Ahsoka, it was that the worst plans usually ended the best. Steeling himself, he called out. 

“Wolffe, set vector two niner zero!” He spoke firmly, and Wolffe snapped into action.

“Wait, you're just going to turn and run, just like that?” Kanan asked incredulously.

Rex was about done with him. But he took another deep breath. “If you've got a better idea, now's the time!” He replied.

“I thought you clones loved to fight!”

“I do love a battle...but on my own terms.” He replied, flicking on his dash controls. “Gregor, drop the Joopa, we gotta move! Wolffe, turn to one eight zero!” He barely got his orders out when the walkers began firing onto the AT-TE.

In the midst of the chaos, he heard Kanan’ voice. “We’re going! Zeb, Ezra, Sabine, let’s move!”

“Too late!” Rex shouted in response. “You take off now, those walkers will have you all in pieces on the ground before you can make the jump.”

“So what do you suggest, Captain?” Kanan said scornfully.

“We go into the storm. The Imperials will be blind, but a  _ Jedi _ won’t.”

Kanan sighed, running a hand over his face. “It’ll have to work. Everybody inside!” He barked, and the Ghost crew followed.

Kanan reminded him of the old days, and of all the other Jedi he’d met. Their obviously tense relationship aside, he had no choice but to feel his respect grow for the man. “Sir yes sir.” Rex spoke, almost to himself.

He headed inside, but not before making sure everyone else was in the main cabin before him. 

“Okay, everyone.” Rex commanded, striding into the room. “We only have one shot. We need a Jedi to man the cannon, and one to guide us through. You’re the only ones who can see in this storm. Ezra, you’re up top. Sabine, you spot him.”

He turned to see Kanan looking at him, a rather interesting expression on his face. DImly, he realized he’d just given orders to his men. But somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to care. Besides, Kanan didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he seemed...impressed.

Shaking it off, he turned as Ezra and Sabine began to leave the room.

“Hey, kid!” Rex called after him. Ezra turned, his blue brows raised. “You might need that.” He spoke as he tossed his old GAR helmet into his hands. He didn’t even realize the significance of the action until Ezra looked up at him, almost as if he was honored to take it. He felt a small amount of pride course through him.

Clearing his throat, he spoke again. “And hang on tight.”

As Ezra turned and left the main cabin, Rex felt no small amount of anxiety at the idea of him and Sabine alone up there in the storm, but from what he knew about those kids so far, they would be just fine.

He turned his attention to Kanan, who was giving directions to Wolffe, his eyes tightly shut in concentration. Rex couldn’t help but notice that Wolffe followed his instructions blindly, obviously deciding to trust him. Rex was immensely proud of his brother. Maybe he was coming out of it, after all. 

Dimly, he heard the AT-TE main cannon go off, followed by a deafening metallic screeching, and he heard the massive Imperial walker fall to the ground. 

_ I knew the kid could do it _ , he thought to himself.

Kanan then proceeded to guide them expertly out of the storm, the daylight outside the dust storm filtering through the windows, as he and the rest of the Ghost crew made their way back up to the top of the walker.

“Great shot kid!” Rex exclaimed, slapping Ezra on the back, causing him to laugh. “Now get out of here! It's your only chance.”

“What?” Ezra asked in disbelief. “We can’t leave now!”

“We have to get the information back to the Rebellion!” Kanan yelled, brushing past the boy as he clambered into the shuttle.

Rex just had to sit back and watch as Ezra looked frustrated beyond belief. “The other part of that mission is to bring Rex  _ back _ with us!”

At hearing Ezra’s words, Rex rethought his decision to stay, seemingly for the millionth time. But he took a breath, and spoke again.

“You're not abandoning anyone, we’re covering your escape! Now move!” He spoke firmly.

He needed to make sure the kid was safe.

With that, he strode over, taking his seat behind the main cannon. He cast one last look at Ezra. He was glad the Rebellion had people like him and the rest of the Ghost crew. 

_ And Ahsoka _ , he thought dimly.

The Rebellion was their purpose. This, was his.

“We’re soldiers, Ezra! We were born for this!” He called out towards him.

He watched sadness cross Ezra’s eyes, before he sighed and climbed in the shuttle, the door hissing shut behind him. With that, the Phantom engine ignited and the shuttle lurched forward. As he watched them take off and disappear into the bright sky of Seelos, Rex felt a deep sense of loss. He sighed, before returning to the moment. 

“Bring us around, Wolffe!” He yelled. With that, he felt the AT-TE lurch forward, and he lifted the massive cannon, aiming it right at the neck of the walker. 

_ For the Republic _ , he thought.  _ For Ahsoka. _

He was jolted out of his seat as the Imperial walker landed a massive hit, covering the entire front end of their base in thick, black smoke. He felt the engine stall, and for a moment, he feared the worst.

“Come on Wolffe, it's just a scratch.” he called out, a slight tremor in his voice. He was filled with immense relief, however, as the ship took another large step forward. “The Wolffe pack is back!” He heard Wolffe shout giddily from the cockpit. 

That was high honor, coming from him.

Rex felt another huge jolt as Wolffe ran the walker straight into the legs of the Imperial walker.

_ This is never going to work _ , Rex thought. But he wasn't giving up that easy. None of them were.

He raised the main cannon to fire at the weak point, but then the cannon was abruptly ripped offline as the walker lost power.

Suddenly, time seemed to stop. He realized this was their last chance. Their last stand.

“Boys, this might be it! At least we'll go down fighting like a clone should.” He called out.

The Empire was going to win- but he and his brothers had fought to the death. They could be proud of that. Climbing out of his seat, he came to stand on top of the walker, his stance dignified and brave. 

“Come out and fight, you cowards!” He screamed from where he stood on the top of the walker. 

He watched the massive guns tilt down toward him, and all the explosive noise seemed to be quiet. Was this what it was like? Was there going to be anything further than this? Or would he just cease to exist?

_ May the Force be with you, brothers _ , he thought, closing his eyes.  _ May the Force be with you, Ahsoka _ .

Suddenly, he forced his eyes open as he heard the familiar sound of the Phantom engine, descending quickly above them. The crew fired quickly into the neck, destroying the walker with ease. He watched in disbelief as they flew above the now flaming Imperial walker, and Zeb, Kanan, and Ezra jumped from the ship, floating through the air for a moment, before landing powerfully on top of the walker, shoving their sabers into the top of it. In his mind, Kanan and Ezra’s forms morphed into those of Anakin and Ahsoka. 

_ Just like the old days _ , Rex thought. 

He was jolted from his thoughts as he abruptly fell to the ground as the walker bumped into them, but he caught one of the support beams at this last minute, hanging limply, simply watching as Kanan and Ezra destroyed another of the walkers. Dimly, he heard Gregor shout that power was restored. He groaned, before drawing himself back up, the smoke thick and the noise from the electricity crackling deafening.

Rex pulled himself up into the seat, and squinted his eyes.

_ One last shot. _

Summoning all his focus, he fired a final shot straight into the neck of the walker above them, and the bolt hit it square in the paneling. He swiftly jumped and hit the deck of the walker, rolling away as the enormous machine came crashing down onto the walker.

Rubbing his head, he quickly jumped back up to his feet, just in time to see Kallus and his men beating a frantic retreat across the desert. 

_ Yeah _ , he thought, quirking a slight smile.  _ That’s what I thought. _

To his left, he saw Gregor climbing out of the main cabin, coughing as he did so, but he looked largely unharmed. Rex sighed in relief, running over to join him. When he reached him, he leaned down into the smoke to lift Wolffe out by his forearm.

“Captain, that was amazing! That was the most fun I’ve had in years!” Gregor shouted. Rex simply rolled his eyes good-naturedly before turning to Wolffe.

“Looks like we live to fight another day.” Rex spoke, bumping his forearm against his.

“Don't we always?” Wolffe replied easily, gripping his shoulder.

“I’m proud of you.” Rex spoke softly under his breath. But Wolffe heard him.

“We do when we have a Jedi leading us!” Gregor exclaimed.

They all turned to see the Ghost crew approaching up the deck, Kanan leading the way.

_ Maybe he isn’t too bad after all _ , Rex thought. With that, he gave him a firm salute, to which his brothers followed. Kanan simply nodded stoically. 

“What the hell would Gregor know about Jedi?” Wolffe whispered sarcastically under his breath. Rex just laughed.

Slowly, Kanan came to make his way down to them, Ezra and Zeb close behind. As he drew closer, he eyed the wreckage all around them, and with a small laugh, he spoke.

“Looks like you all are going to need a new base.”

“I've got a few ideas…” Wolffe spoke, casting his gaze to the huge Imperial walker. Ezra laughed at this.

“Captain, I’m going to survey the damage.” Wolffe spoke again, before slapping Rex on the back and returning into the somehow still intact cabin, surrounded by the wreckage of the walker deck.

“I’m...hungry.” Gregor spoke slowly, before clumsily following after Wolffe.

Rex laughed, and turned to see Kanan and Ezra looking at him.

“Thank you, all of you.” He spoke, giving Kanan a respectful nod, which the Jedi slowly returned. With that, he turned and made his way back to the Phantom, Zeb and Sabine close behind. Only Ezra stayed behind.

“Goodbye, kid. You did a great job today.” Rex said, looking down at him.

“It was great meeting you, Rex. May the Force be with you.” Ezra nodded, an unidentifiable emotion flashing through his eyes, before turning and following the rest of the crew across the desert.

Breathing out, the intense anxiety of the last hours finally abating, Rex ran hand over his head, and turned to enter the main cabin of the walker. As he entered, he saw Gregor and Wolffe look sharply up at him from their places across the room.

“Rex! I- what are you doing here?” Gregor spoke.

Rex cast him a puzzled glance before sinking into a miraculously unbroken chair bonelessly with a sigh.

“What do you mean,  _ what am I doing here _ ? I live here.” He laughed, deliberately missing the point.

“We thought you were leaving.” Gregor replied slowly.

Rex looked up at him. He thought it, too, entirely too many times. 

“What made you think that? You heard me tell them earlier that I was staying.” He spoke nonchalantly.

“We... we figured you would change your mind.”

“The Rebellion will get along just fine without me, Gregor.” He said with a chuckle, crossing his forearms behind his head and leaning back. 

“But will Ahsoka?” Wolffe spoke up for the first time.

Rex looked up at him in disbelief, returning his arms slowly to his sides, as if not believing what he heard. The thoughts flooded back into his mind.

“My...my place is here.” He spoke hesitantly.

“Rex, buddy.” Wolffe said with a smile, the first real smile he’d seen from him in  _ years _ . “Your place is with her.”

“We’ll be fine, Captain! Go, you gotta go! They’re leaving, buddy!” Gregor shouted excitedly. When Rex didn’t move, obviously still lost in thought, Gregor took to grabbing his forearm roughly and pulling him out of the chair forcefully, falling back as he did so.

Wolffe, for his part, turned to grab an old GAR duffle he’d loaded up for him. Rex hadn’t even seen him pack it. He took it tentatively from him, and looked at him deeply, as if asking a final question. 

Wolffe smiled again, before gesturing weakly towards the door. “Get out of here, Captain.” 

Rex felt the small, faint beginnings of tears swell in his eyes.

“That’s an order.” Wolffe finished.

Suddenly, Rex drew them both into a crushing hug, holding them just as tightly as they held him. 

“I’m sorry we can’t come with you.” Wolffe spoke, pulling away from him.

“I don’t blame you at all, Wolffe. Either of you. Your fight is over. Mine is still out there, somewhere.” Rex spoke, looking out to the horizon. “Why am I not surprised?” he finished with a smirk.

“Rex, I just want you to know-” Wolffe spoke.

Rex cut him off, shaking his head with a smile. “No. This isn’t goodbye, Wolffe.” He spoke, regaining his composure. “I’ll be in contact.”

“Of course you will.” Wolffe replied softly. 

Distantly, Rex heard the engine of the Phantom roar to life.

“Go!” Wolffe said, chucking him lightly on the shoulder. Rex just nodded, smiling at him, tears shining in his eyes.

“Okay, Commander.” Rex spoke, his voice thick. He then turned on his heel, and hesitated for a moment before coming to a final decision. Rushing out of the main cabin, bag slung over his back, he made his way towards the Phantom.

“Send us a postcard!” Gregor shouted goofily out after him. 

Way in the distance, Ezra looked out to see Rex’s form running towards them from behind the closing bay door, waving his free hand in the air towards him, and he immediately yelled towards Sabine in the cockpit.

“Sabine, wait! Keep it open! It’s Rex.” Ezra called out.

She obediently pulled the switch, and the mechanic door creaked loudly before beginning to lower. Rex drew closer and closer to the shuttle, silently remarking that he was still able to run just as fast as he could back in his prime during the Clone Wars. Finally, he crossed the last few feet, coming to stand hesitantly in front of Ezra. The boy looked up at him curiously, his brows raised. Catching his breath slightly, Rex spoke.

“Room for one more, kid?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I just wanted to add a couple quick notes to clear some things up:
> 
> While he had a bigger role in the last chapter (I forgot to add a note to that one), the character of Captain Moran is an OC, if you didn’t know that already, as I couldn’t quite find someone for Ahsoka to pair up with for her missions as Fulcrum that would fit with the timeline at that point. I feel like we didn’t get to see Ahsoka as Fulcrum enough in Rebels, so I made sure to add in some missions. And of course, Cassian had to make an appearance somewhere!
> 
> The other thing to note is Rex’s age at this point. So, I kind of guessed based on Anakin and Ahsoka’s ages, and figured he was maybe biologically 24 at the end of The Clone Wars, and with the 12-ish year time jump between the end of TCW and Rebels, I figured he was somewhere around 48 in Rebels.
> 
> Anyways! Thank you all for continuing to read, comment, and leave kudos! You all are the best!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone! My usual enormous thanks to everyone who continues to read, like, and comment! Without further ado, the moment we’ve all been waiting for.
> 
> Real quick: Take note of the M rating.

The main room of the Ghost was eerily quiet in the deep of space. Rex sat on one of the grey racks built into the sides of the ship walls, across from Ezra. Up ahead in the cockpit, he could hear Zeb and Sabine talking about nothing in particular. Rex had briefly met Captain Syndulla and her droid, Chopper, earlier, when he had boarded the ship. He hadn’t gotten to talk to either of them for long, though, as she had quickly gone to rest in her cabin. She had said that she was exhausted, but that she couldn't wait to talk more with him. He didn’t blame her- he supposed 16 hours straight of flying  _ would _ tire a person out. 

He cast his gaze absently over to Sabine, who stood leaning over where Zeb sat in the copilot seat, assisting Kanan who was flying the Ghost back to the Phoenix command ship...where Ahsoka was waiting.

Before he could even think about how anxious, and  _ terrified, _ he was to see her, he heard Kanan clear his throat.

“So, you decided to come with us, Rex.” Kanan spoke in a guarded tone, looking over at him from the rearview mirror.

“Yeah...” Rex replied slowly, not knowing quite what else to say.

Ezra piped up from across the hall. “I’m glad you did! We could  _ seriously _ use your help.” Rex smiled at him, but the smile quickly faded and he returned his gaze to Kanan in the cockpit. Ezra seemed to notice this, and spoke up again.

“Don’t worry about him.” He said, more quietly this time. “He gets like this sometimes, it’s not your fault.”

“Thanks, kid. But I’m not worried.” Rex responded.

“That’s good. Besides, Sabine is the one you have to worry about.”

“Why?” Rex asked, an amused smile on his face.

“She’s  _ crazy _ .” Ezra spoke conspiratorially, leaning forward towards him. Rex had to laugh at this.

“What the hell are you talking about, Ezra?” Sabine asked, ambling over to him and smacking him lightly upside the head. 

“Because you do stuff like that!” Ezra shot back, rubbing the side of his head ruefully. Rex simply watched with an entertained smile as Ezra reached up to swat at back Sabine, and she deftly dodged his swing before kicking him in the shin. He heard the boy cry out, and shove futilely at her. This was obviously going to go on for a while.

Rex fidgeted with his comm in his lap, running his fingers absently over the buttons and the screen. A sudden curiosity hit him, and he looked down at it before hesitantly powering it on, as if it would reach up and bite him. He went back into the message logs and pressed the seldom-used button to restore the communications history. He scrolled down for a few moments before he started seeing the beginning of the messages from Ahsoka. As his eyes tracked over all of them, he felt his heart twist agonizingly.

_ Hi Rex! I just thought I’d tell you! I ran into one of those assassin droids today, like the ones that you told me that you guys found on the Coronet- and let’s just say, now I feel bad about teasing you about being scared of them years ago. Over. _

_ Rex! You would not believe what happened today! Let me know if you get this, I can’t wait to tell you the whole story. Over. _

_ Hey Rex! Remember when Anakin and I used the Force to launch you off that bridge in Christophsis? I had to do that same thing with my associate today, and I gotta say he didn’t take it as well as you did. He must hate fun. Let me know if you receive this! Over. _

_ Hey Rex. Just checking in, let me know if you are getting these messages. Just want to make sure you’re safe. Miss you. Over. _

She’d been messaging him for  _ years _ , and he never replied.  _ Oh gods _ , he thought miserably.  _ She probably thinks I was ignoring her.  _

Suddenly, he realized their now inevitable reunion could end up getting very tense. He took a deep breath that came out as a shaky exhale, before standing up and walking over to Zeb.

“How much longer?” Rex asked, trying to hide his impatience as he leaned over the back of the copilot seat.

“We’re about twenty minutes out.” Zeb replied easily. Out of the corner of his eye, Rex saw Kanan eye him warily from where he was standing beside them, and he took the hint, swiftly returning to where he had been sitting across from Ezra. He anxiously twisted his hands in his lap, not knowing quite what to do with himself.

The next twenty minutes were agony. Finally, after what felt like hours, he heard the familiar metallic click of the ship docking. Hearing the hiss of the bay door opening, he stood up quickly and squinted his eyes, looking distantly into the grey hallway of the  _ Phoenix Home _ . He heard Kanan approach behind him, and he walked into the other ship first, followed by Ezra, Chopper, Hera, and Zeb. The moment was finally here. Frantically, he ran a rough hand through his beard, and smoothed out his now wrinkled clothes hurriedly.  _ Why didn’t I do this earlier _ , he thought, slightly panicked.

He watched as Sabine walked past him, before turning to face him. He raised his brows at her questioningly.

“Excited to see Ahsoka?” Sabine spoke, a knowing smirk on her face.

“Yeah…” Rex replied tentatively. “Yeah, she’s a good friend.” He said, his tone nonchalant, deliberately missing her point. He brought his hands slowly off his clothes, returning them to his sides.

“Oh, I bet.” Sabine joked as she quickened her pace to catch up with where the rest of the group walked in front of them.

_ What does she know? _ He thought to himself, before following them down the hall.

The Ghost crew gathered into a group ahead of him, blocking off the hallway that stretched out in front of them.

He recognized her instantly.

Over the top of Kanan’s head, Rex saw Ahsoka’s slim form standing there, her back to them. Her lekku were longer now, and she had grown taller and slimmer. But it was her. And when she turned around to face them, his mind went completely blank, only one thought occupying it.

_ Gods, she's absolutely beautiful.  _

Suddenly, his heart was pounding in his ears as he watched the Ghost crew part almost dramatically around him, and he saw Ezra motion him towards Ahsoka frantically, a smile spreading from ear to ear across his young face. Taking a deep breath, Rex stepped forward through the crew, and came to face her, smiling widely as his eyes met hers. He watched as her body went rigid, and she slowly, almost hesitantly, came up to stand in front of him, an indescribable emotion playing across her familiar blue eyes.

“Commander.” He choked out, feeling a strong emotion settle in his chest, almost strangling him. “You got old.” He joked, trying desperately to calm himself down.

She just smiled radiantly, with the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen in his life. “Had to happen sometime, Rex.” 

He just stood there, his eyes gazing into hers, tracking over her face, hardly believing that this moment was actually here. He never thought he’d see her again.

Suddenly, Ahsoka leaned forward, wrapping her arms up around his shoulders and pulling him into a tight hug, which he readily returned. He felt her arms move gently around his back to settle on his shoulder blades, and he placed his hands on her waist, pulling her flush against him in response. He simply held her, breathed her in, the familiar warmth of her body bringing his mind to peace for the first time in over a decade. 

He felt her exhale softly, and he went to pull away but quickly realized she was still holding onto him just as tightly. That was more than fine with him. She settled her face into the gap between his neck and shoulder, and he felt her breath flit across his neck. He quickly did the same, nuzzling her lekku gently. Dimly, he was glad the Ghost crew was behind him.

“I’m glad you're still alive.” He spoke earnestly, almost to himself.

“You too.” She replied, and Rex realized her voice was thick, as if she were holding back tears. With this, she finally released him, and he gave her a warm smile before turning around and gesturing to the members of the Ghost crew, who had just been standing there, watching the proceedings with interest. 

“Well I wouldn't be, if it weren't for these guys.” He replied, a slight laugh infusing his voice, trying futilely to get his emotions back under control. He was a soldier, after all.

At hearing this, Ahsoka felt a sudden rush of appreciation for Kanan, her breath catching in her throat. She  _ knew _ she could count on him.

“Thank you.” She said softly, casting her gaze to Kanan, the gratitude in her eyes speaking volumes. “For trusting my...friend.”

Kanan didn’t seem to notice her pause. “It wasn't easy.” She heard him hesitate before speaking again. “It’s still not.”

Ahsoka sighed quietly- she knew it couldn’t be. But nevertheless, as she looked over at Rex, she’d never felt happier in her life. “Nothing worth doing ever is.” She replied stoically. 

With that, seemingly in sync, they all walked forward, stepping through the hallway of the  _ Phoenix Home _ . Ahsoka led the way, taking the eight of them into the common room of the control ship. 

Hera and Kanan nodded to the both of them before they quietly began working together to make the crew something to eat in the kitchen, and Zeb, Ezra, Sabine, and Chopper started up a game of Dejarik across the room, leaving Rex and Ahsoka by themselves in the middle of the area. Ahsoka gestured questioningly over to a small table with two chairs, and Rex nodded with a smile, walking over to it and pulling out one of the seats for her.

As she took it, she laughed, looking up at him. “What a gentleman.” She said with a smirk. “You’ve obviously changed a lot.”

Rex laughed out loud, before sitting down across from her. 

“So…” Ahsoka began hesitantly, almost awkwardly, clearly not knowing remotely where to start. “How...have you been?” 

“I’ve been...okay.” He chuckled. “Gregor and I started a base, out on that skug-hole Seelos, with another one of my brothers we found out on Abafar, Wolffe.”

“Commander Wolffe? She questioned.

Rex nodded.

“I think I might know him. He served with Plo, right?” 

Rex nodded again.

“He’s a good guy, I’m really glad to hear he found you two.”

“That he is.” Rex replied with a smile.

“It’s been awhile, Rex.” She spoke after a few silent moments passed, her gaze steady.

“It certainly has. At least one of us aged well.” Rex said with a chuckle, running his hand over his head self-consciously. 

Ahsoka laughed, but her voice quickly took on a quieter, almost husky tone, and she cast her gaze up to look him right in the eyes. “I wouldn’t say that.”

He felt his entire body warm, and his cheeks redden furiously at her compliment.

“So, what made you decide to join us?” She asked, her voice abruptly returning to its normal, friendly tone.

_ You _ , his mind spoke.  _ It’s always been you.  _ Before he could get the words out, he was abruptly reminded that this was dangerous territory. 

He didn’t even know if she felt the same way as him. _Why would she?_ _You’re an aging clone_ , _Rex_ , he thought to himself. _And this is a woman you were with 12 years ago. Why would she_ possibly _be interested?_

“You know I can’t pass up a fight,  _ especially _ with the Empire. Someone’s got to put them in their place.” He said nonchalantly.

“And that someone is you?” She replied softly.

He shrugged modestly with a smirk, faking apathy. “I’ll do what I can.” He spoke, placing his forearms behind his head and leaning back in the chair.

She had to laugh at this.  _ He hasn’t changed a bit _ , she joked to herself with a smile. Though, she slowly began to realize he truly  _ hadn’t _ changed much. He was still fair, friendly, loyal, caring- she could tell. All the things that she knew and loved about him were still there, even all these years later. 

And, even though he’d aged, he still wasn’t at all bad to look at. His shoulders were more broad now, his jawline sharp even with his well kept beard, his sharp nose and high cheekbones ever present, and his honey colored eyes still held that same spark in them. Dimly, she felt her heart rate increase every so slightly as her eyes subtly tracked over him.

Rex spoke again, jolting her guiltily from her sudden rush of desire. “So, what have you been up to?”

Ahsoka laughed at this. “Oh, this and that.” She replied easily, settling back in her seat.

“That’s all you have for me?” Rex replied incredulously, leaning forward across the table towards her. “From what I hear, you’re the hero of the Rebellion.”

Ahsoka felt her face flush. “I wouldn’t say that.” She replied modestly.

“I would.” Rex spoke quietly.

She dimly remembered how worried she had been. How she didn’t want to see Rex, out of fear that he wouldn’t feel anything for her anymore. Those fears began to rapidly melt away as she gazed up into his eyes, and the seriousness she saw in them. Maybe, just maybe, she began to think, he  _ did _ still feel something for her. The very thought made her chest tighten with excitement.

She’d nearly let the idea of him go. Could she finally have what she’d been longing for, for the last  _ decade? _ The expression she saw in his eyes almost seemed to tell her yes.

Suddenly, Ahsoka heard Hera’s voice from right beside her, and she nearly jumped a mile. 

Hera laughed, putting her hands up playfully in mock surrender. “Sorry, sorry! Didn’t mean to  _ terrify _ you.” She chuckled. “I just wanted to ask you two war heroes if you wanted something to eat.”

Ahsoka caught her breath, and she saw Rex eyeing her curiously from across the table. “I’m fine, Hera.” She coughed once, clearing her throat. “Rex?” She asked awkwardly.

“I’m fine, Captain Syndulla. But thank you.” He replied respectfully, looking up towards Hera.

Hera rolled her eyes. “Don’t even start with that mess. You call me Hera.” She spoke, wagging her finger at him.

Rex laughed at this. “Yes, sir. Hera.” He corrected.

Hera walked away, and Ahsoka came to face Rex again. They both spoke up at the same time.

“Ahsoka, I-”

“Rex, we- oh, no. You go ahead.” She spoke, gesturing diplomatically towards him.

“Oh, I- thanks.” He chuckled awkwardly, twisting his hands in front of him. “I just wanted to tell you. I...saw all your messages.”

Ahsoka felt her heart drop.

Noticing her face fall, he quickly spoke again. “This morning, I mean.” He swiftly reassured her. “They didn’t come through originally. I don’t know how many you sent, but...they got lost. I hope you know that if I had seen them, I would’ve responded. I’m so, so sorry, Ahsoka.”

She breathed out once, remembering how heartbroken she’d been, before speaking again.

“What happened to them?” she spoke quietly.

Rex hesitated for a moment, but decided in the end to just tell her the truth. “Wolffe...hid them from me.”

“Why?” She asked incredulously.  _ I’ve never done anything to him, _ she thought to herself. 

“I told him about how we stayed together after the Order. And about how you...left.” He spoke, the intense hurt evident in his voice, even all these years later.

Suddenly, Ahsoka felt nauseous with guilt.

Rex continued. “He didn’t quite...understand. So he was afraid that if I were to communicate with you, to respond to you, that I would be in danger with the Empire. I’m not making excuses for it, I just-”

“No, Rex.” She interrupted gently. “I don’t blame him, or you. After all, that is why...I left. I wanted you to be safe, more than anything. But I realized later that with my position with the Alliance, my identity hidden from the Empire, that we  _ could _ safely communicate. I’m just sorry to hear that Wolffe was so scared that he felt he needed to do something like that to protect you.”

Rex nodded, the weight of her statement hitting him.  _ How is she so understanding? She hasn’t changed a bit _ , he thought to himself.

“I...shouldn’t have left.” She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper now. 

“I...I don’t blame you. For anything. You did what you thought was right. You always have.” Rex replied firmly, and just as quietly. He tentatively extended his hand towards her, gently placing it on hers. She looked up in mild surprise and met his eyes. Suddenly, she felt an insane urge to lean forward and kiss him.

Though, that train of thought was swiftly interrupted by Kanan calling out sharply. “Ezra! Sabine! Wrap up the game, we’re headed back to the Ghost!” As Ahsoka looked up towards his voice, she saw Hera walk up to stand next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“We’re going to fly out to the Albarrio Sector, to check on things there and pick up some supplies. They’re cheaper out there. You want to come with us?” Hera spoke. Ahsoka briefly glanced at Rex, who was looking back at her hopefully, before casting her gaze back to Hera.

“I think I will. I’m not on any active missions, at least for a while. I haven’t made much progress finding that Sith Lord, either. Can I take the Phantom, though, if something comes up?”

“Sure thing.” Hera replied easily. “Just don’t scuff it up like you did last time.”

Ahsoka chuckled, and she saw Rex smirk from across the table. “One time thing. It won’t happen again.” She responded.

Rex and Ahsoka both stood up, and Ahsoka stretched her arms with a sigh before following the now leaving Ghost crew out of the Phoenix common area.

“Still not the smoothest pilot, I take it?” Rex asked as they walked in step, obviously joking. He knew exactly how skilled she was, at seemingly  _ everything _ she did.

She laughed, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. “You’re one to talk, Rex.”

As they reached the bay doors of the Ghost and stepped inside, Hera came to stand in front of them as Kanan closed the massive doors behind them.

“So, Rex.” Hera spoke. “Welcome aboard. Again.” She chuckled. “I have a spare cabin with your name on it, if you want to follow me. We already sat your things in there.”

“Thanks, Hera. I appreciate it.” He spoke, before giving Ahsoka a quick nod and heading up the ladder after Hera, leaving her and Kanan alone. Ahsoka felt a sharp lurch as the Ghost abruptly disconnected from the  _ Phoenix Home _ , and launched roughly out into hyperspace. Sabine must have been flying.

“So.” Kanan spoke from behind her after a couple moments, startling her ever so slightly. “That’s  _ the _ Rex?”

Ahsoka nodded, eyeing Kanan warily. “That’s him.”

“Huh.” He replied, his voice cold, before heading up the ladder towards his room. Ahsoka just sighed. She couldn’t exactly blame Kanan for how he felt about Rex, but she did earnestly wish that they would become friends, eventually. She supposed he just needed time.

At that moment, she climbed up the ladder after Kanan, and saw Hera and Rex talking at the end of the hall. She approached them, hearing a snippet of their conversation.

“Thanks again, Hera.” He spoke.

“No worries. You’ll have to excuse me, I’ve got to go take my ship back from Sabine before something gets broken beyond repair.” She replied easily, before walking the other direction and into the cockpit. As Rex saw Ahsoka approaching, he stood outside his bunk door, waiting for her. She was about to speak to him before she was loudly interrupted by Zeb yelling at Ezra.

“I can’t take a nap with you in here, kid!” He spoke, shoving Ezra unceremoniously out of the two’s shared bunk with a large hand. 

“Jerk.” Ezra muttered to himself as he walked past Rex and Ahsoka, who both stood grinning at him as he sulked by, before approaching Sabine as she left the cockpit, asking her to play Sabacc. She let out a put-upon sigh, but agreed nonetheless, and they entered her cabin, leaving Ahsoka and Rex suddenly alone in the hall.

“He’s quite the kid.” Ahsoka smirked.

“Yeah, he’s a brawler, all right.” Rex replied with a chuckle.

They both spoke at the same time. “Reminds me of Anakin.” At this, both of them dissolved into laughter. As always happened when she thought of Anakin, she felt a small twinge tug painfully at her heart. But with Rex here now, it seemed a small amount easier to bear. They had seemingly both chosen to remember him as who he was, and not what he had become. 

“So, should we get caught up about your many adventures on Seelos?” Ahsoka asked after she caught her breath, a slight edge to her voice, as if she were holding something back.

“There’s not much to tell there, but sure.” Rex replied with a small laugh, gesturing for her to enter the bunk first. 

Ahsoka stepped in, and he shut the door behind her. When he turned to face her, he saw her looking at him, biting her lip slightly, a rather interesting expression on her face. Dimly, he felt his heart begin to beat faster.

“I missed you so much, Rex.” She breathed, shaking her head slightly.

“I missed you too, ‘Soka. More than you know.” He replied softly.

Suddenly, and without thinking, Ahsoka quickly closed the distance between them and leaned in towards him, pressing her lips to his. 

Rex’s mind went completely blank.  _ Gods, I missed you _ , was his only thought as he felt her soft lips touch his for the first time in over a decade. His body responded quickly however, and he placed his hands tentatively across her back before pulling her flush against him. He leaned forward towards her, wanting to be even closer, forcing her to lean back as she held on to him just as tightly. An involuntary shudder ran through him as he felt her hands drift back to lay across his shoulder blades. He then felt her fingers grip down on them, causing another shock of desire to course through his body. His mind was a mess, his breathing shallow. He never thought he’d get back to her, and now he was actually here. 

Dimly though, he began to come back to his senses. 

_ This isn’t fair to her, _ he thought sadly.

Ahsoka placed her hand on the side of his face, her fingers running softly through his beard, before moving his face gently to deepen the kiss, sliding her tongue across his lower lip. Almost instinctively, she began pulling his shirt free from his waistband with her other hand, seeking the skin of his lower back. Although this time, she felt him tense up and swiftly pull away.

“Ahsoka, I don’t know if I want-

“What?” She asked softly, feeling her breath catch. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to, you know,  _ initiate _ anything right away, I just-” She chuckled, but her slight laugh faded quickly as she saw the expression on his face.

“I just don’t know if we can be like we were, and-” He stammered, struggling to find the right words and failing miserably.

She felt her heart drop into her stomach, and the beginnings of a sob tear painfully up her throat.

_ Oh _ , she thought miserably. 

Suddenly, she felt wildly embarrassed at her behavior. Why in the galaxy would he want to be with her after all these years? After she’d all but abandoned him? What the  _ hell _ was she thinking? 

She leaned away from him, pulling her hand from his grasp slowly as she did so. He felt her hand slip agonizingly through his, and he wanted nothing more than to grab it and never let go.

“Rex, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have...I shouldn’t have assumed. I just thought maybe you...ah, it’s okay. I’m, I’m sorry. I misunderstood, or misread something. Obviously.”

She pulled all the way away, and he felt his chest tighten painfully upon seeing the expression on her face. She was smiling, but her lower lip was trembling ever so slightly, and the tears welling in her blue eyes spoke volumes.

“Ahsoka-” He started.

“It’s okay.” She said thickly, waving her hand nonchalantly in front of her face to distract from the tears.

_ When did I get so soft?  _ She wondered distantly.

“I get it. No worries.” She finished, obviously on the verge of crying as she went back over to the door.

“Ahsoka, wait. Don’t...I just-” 

_ Gods, _ he thought,  _ why can’t I talk? _ He’d been waiting for, dreaming of, this moment for so long, and now that it was finally here, he was ruining it.

She just shook her head at him, still smiling sadly before opening the door and stepping out, closing it quietly behind her.

He felt his heart shatter as he heard her let out a pent up, quiet sob as soon as she shut the door, and then the click of her boots retreating down the hallway.

_ What have I done? _ He thought. Being with her was exactly what he had wanted. He just didn’t want to hurt her, that’s what all this was for. And now, he’d done just that.

After a few moments, he shook his head, kicking himself mentally, and rushed out of the door, striding down the hallway to where he thought her cabin was. They would talk. He was just going to tell her exactly how he felt, and that was going to be that. He was done being a coward, especially where Ahsoka was concerned.

Steeling himself, he stepped forward and knocked on her door. He heard a quiet sniffle inside.

_ Gods, you’ve really done it now, Rex. _ He thought guiltily as he knocked again.

This time, after a few moments, he heard a small shuffling sound and then a click as Ahsoka unlocked the door, looking at him blearily.

“Ahsoka, listen, I just wanted to explain. I-”

_ I love you _ , he thought.  _ I love you _ . It would’ve been so easy to say. 

“I...just don’t want you to-” He stammered.

He watched her shake her head, the sadness in her eyes quickly shifting into something different.

“Listen, I get it, Rex. Don’t have to tell me twice.”

“No, Ahsoka, that’s not what I-”

Suddenly, Rex turned at the sound of footsteps coming from the hall, and Ezra’s young voice calling out to them.

“There you guys are! I’ve been looking for you.” Ezra spoke in a frantic tone, running rapidly up to them. Out of the corner of his eye, Rex saw Ahsoka turn her face in towards her cabin, and wipe her tears away roughly with her sleeve, out of the boy’s view.

“Listen kid, maybe we can talk later, but-” Rex began, but he was quickly interrupted.

“It’s not me, guys. Hera called an emergency meeting, she says it’s really important.”

“Thanks, Ezra.” Ahsoka spoke coldly before striding out of her bunk, bumping against Rex slightly as she did so.

Ezra turned and ran down the hallway, and Ahsoka strode swiftly after him. Rex turned to follow her, quickly matching her pace and grabbing her forearm lightly, facing towards her as they walked in lockstep.

“Ahsoka, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

She let out a gale force sigh. “Forget it.” She breathed. Immediately regretting her tone, she spoke again. “We’re good, Rex. Seriously, don’t worry.” She finished with a slight smile, her usual friendly tone returning quickly, before speeding up her pace and turning the corner into the common room.

_ Just because Rex doesn’t feel the same way didn’t mean we can’t still be friends, _ she thought to herself.  _ I just need to get over it. It’s been a long time coming. _

Picking a seat at the corner of the room, she walked over and sank down wearily into the chair. Looking up, she saw Rex enter the threshold a few moments later and lean against the frame, his gaze cast towards her, a worried expression deep in his eyes. Their eyes made contact for the briefest of moments, and she gave him a rueful, but real smile before she looked away and focused her eyes towards Hera.

“Sorry we’re late, Hera.” She spoke, her normally joyful tone decidedly forced.

“It’s okay, but Rex, Ahsoka, we’re in a real bad spot. Chopper just told me that there’s a group of incoming TIEs coming out from hyperspace, headed straight towards our coordinates.” Hera spoke, a hint of fear in her normally strong voice.

“How did they find us?” Ahsoka asked incredulously. 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking. They must have put a damn tracker on the Ghost when we were back on the  _ Sovereign _ .”

Abruptly, all thoughts of her now tense relationship with Rex fled Ahsoka’s mind. This was  _ bad _ .

“Did you warn Bail? We were  _ just _ docked at Phoenix Home!” Ahsoka exclaimed, but Hera was already nodding. 

“They’re relocating as we speak, and doing a sweep.”

“Hera, what do we do?” Ezra called out to her.

“I’m going to keep us on the same path towards Albarrio, and hope for the best. We’re just going to need to take them out. Rex, you a good shot?” Hera called out. Before Rex could even answer, Ezra spoke up. 

“Yeah, he’s really good! He shot a probe droid, from like, a mile away.”

_ Well, it wasn’t quite that far, kid, _ Rex thought to himself. But he’d take the compliment. He nodded once towards Hera.

“Okay, then you’ll take the main cannon. Sabine, you’re with me. Kanan, Ezra, do what you do. Ahsoka, we’re going to need backup in the cockpit, I want you to track the Empire’s movements on the radar, because my damn dash is offline. Zeb, I want you on the second gun, take them out as soon as they get close. Now let’s move! We don’t have much time.”

With that, they all sprung into action, and Ahsoka watched as Rex and Zeb took off running to the gunner stations. 

She quickly followed Hera out of the common room and towards the cockpit, Sabine close on her heels. The Mandalorian girl swiftly pushed past them and entered first, banging the door against the frame as she did so, and Hera ran forward, settling down in her seat. Sabine rushed forward after her and all but fell into the copilot seat next to her. Ahsoka stood towards the back, looking down at the star chart. She sucked in a sharp breath as five dots ominously appeared, blinking as they got closer and closer, traveling much faster than she would’ve expected.

“Five TIEs, and they’re coming in hot!” Ahsoka called out to Hera.

“When are they not?” She called back ruefully. “What’s my next move?”

Ahsoka felt the ship shake, and heard a massive blast as the main cannon fired, and she looked back down to the chart and immediately saw one of the dots drop off the radar.  _ Thanks, Rex, _ she thought to herself.

“Make that four!” She called back to Hera.

“Sabine, get us to point 9.4, we’ve gotta get out of their reach. Then comm ahead to Albarrio sector control, tell them we’re coming in hot!” Hera ordered.

Ahsoka saw the windshield behind Hera light up bright orange, the heat of the atmosphere blowing against the glass. 

“Hera, they’re still on us!” Ahsoka shouted above the noise, her eyes tracking along the radar interface.

“Spectre 1, anything?” Hera spoke firmly into her wrist comm. 

“Hera.” Kanan commed back, his voice crackled. “If we can ditch the tracker, we can get them off our tail once we reach the planet. But we’d need to land to do it.” 

Hera was already shaking her head. “No way, Kanan, that’s asking to be blown to bits!”

“I have an idea!” Ahsoka exclaimed. “Sabine, take over the radar.”

“Belay that order, Sabine. Ahsoka, I need you on that!” Hera contradicted.

“We need to get that tracker off, and then maybe we can lose them, because I don’t know that we’re going to outshoot  _ all _ of them, Hera!”

Hera sighed, but turned to her and nodded quickly, waving her off. Ahsoka ran out of the cockpit, and quickly slid down the ladder, losing her footing as the ship abruptly tilted on its side. Hera was obviously dodging a shot.

She stumbled her way to the entrance of the Ghost, and after checking that no one else was around, slammed her hand down on the button to open the massive bay doors. She was quickly sucked out into the air, the force of the pull already causing her to lose her breath, but she managed to deftly grab on to one of the handles shortly outside the opening to avoid flying out into the sky.

Luckily, she saw the ominous red blinking of the tracker right away from where it was stuck on the side of the ship. She was able to maneuver herself around slowly by grabbing the various rivets and railings around the outside of the ship, and she was drawing inexorably closer and closer to the tracker when she heard the all-too-familiar sound of a TIE fighter approaching. 

All at once, she felt herself lose her grip on the ship, and was sent flying backwards into the sky as a TIE fighter landed a shot near where she was holding on to the Ghost, a couple panels exploding off the side of the ship with the force of the blow.

She swiftly shot her hand out, propelling herself forward with the Force and grabbing onto a thick wire that hung off the side of the ship. As she realized what she’d grabbed on to, she found herself fervently hoping she wasn’t about to be electrocuted. But nothing happened.

Ahsoka heard a resounding crash as the Ghost’s main cannon went off again. She turned her head and simply watched the same TIE explode into fragments from where she was holding on to the wire. Turning back around, she pulled herself back up slowly, agonizingly, using the wire, the force of the air working roughly against her. After a long moment, her fingers touched an open panel, and she abruptly let go of the wire. And not a moment too soon- as soon as she had let it go, it had been forcefully ejected from the ship.

Suddenly, she heard her wrist comm scratch to life, followed by Hera’s voice. “Ahsoka, are you  _ insane _ ? Get back in the ship now!” She commanded sharply.

Ahsoka ignored her. This was the only way. She suddenly felt an intense panic, though, as she felt the panel she was holding onto begin to dislodge from the surface of the ship. Quickly, she reached into her utility belt, pulling out her saber and igniting it before bringing it forward, as fast as she could with the wind resistance, and deftly slicing the tracker off the side of the Ghost. She watched it fly off into the sky in broken pieces.

Breathing out, she steeled herself and slowly clawed her way back to the open bay doors. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kanan and Ezra staring at her from inside the ship, a look of horror on their faces as they held onto the sides of the walls, as to not be sucked out of the ship themselves. Ahsoka used another burst of energy to extend her hand again, and shoved herself forward with the Force, stumbling before coming to land on her feet as she all but fell into the open bay.

Kanan swiftly hit the button to close the massive bay doors, and the deafening roar of the air abruptly stopped. Ahsoka stood, her hands placed on her thighs as she bent down, catching her breath.

“What were you  _ thinking _ ? That was crazy!” Kanan shouted.

“That was awesome!” Ezra exclaimed.

Ahsoka breathed out harshly. “Had to be done.” She gasped before turning on her heel and running back up to the cockpit. 

She entered the cockpit swiftly, and Hera glanced at her before quickly returning her attention to the windshield, and Ahsoka saw a TIE fighter approaching them head on before it was abruptly shot down.

“I’m glad to see you’re  _ alive _ after what you pulled!” Hera shouted in the chaos.

“Thanks!” Ahsoka yelled back, deliberately misinterpreting her words. She came to stand back in front of the radar, and she inhaled sharply before speaking again.

“You’ve got six more now, one is five o’clock, coming fast!” Ahsoka called out to Hera. She was quickly obliged to grab on to the shelf and hold on tightly, her legs coming fully off the ground as Hera jerked the wheel around, orienting the Ghost towards one of the TIEs where it was swiftly shot to pieces.

Hera groaned. “What next?!” She exhaled quickly, collecting herself. “Okay! New plan! We’re out of here, we’ve just gotta lose them in hyperspace. I’m turning us around! ”

Ahsoka felt another lurch and heard a deafening metallic scrape as Hera pushed the ship to its limits, stalling the engine to turn it on a dime before igniting it again, causing the Ghost to shoot back up towards open space.

“Sabine, let’s go! I want all the power in the thrusters, that tracker is gone, now we gotta lose them!”

Sabine nodded, and quickly grabbed the hyperdrive shaft, jerking it back forcefully. Ahsoka could still hear the main and side cannons shooting at the TIEs behind them as Sabine threw the ship into hyperspace. Ahsoka looked down at the chart to see the dots of the TIEs gradually disappear, and she felt herself relax, ever so slightly.

She saw the streaking bright lights of space outside the windshield rush by them before Sabine pulled the shaft again, bringing them quickly out of hyperspace and back into deep space.

The three of them all stood for a moment in the new silence, simply breathing in and out. 

“I think we’re clear, Hera.” Ahsoka spoke after a few moments of monitoring the radar, before sinking down bonelessly into one of the seats.

Hera breathed out a sigh of relief, running her hand over her face. “Thanks, Ahsoka. Aren’t you glad you came with us today?” She spoke sarcastically.

Ahsoka just nodded, still breathing heavily. She was.

Suddenly, she heard a huge metallic crash above her, almost like an explosion, that rocked the entire ship, followed by Sabine yelling to Hera.

“Hera! Main cannon off line! It got overheated and blew! Shit!” Sabine yelled, leaning over roughly in her seat to quickly flick on a switch, before straightening again.

_ Oh gods no, _ Ahsoka thought frantically.  _ Rex. _

She immediately shot back up, tearing out of the room at light speed, crashing into a crate as she did so. Cursing under her breath, she quickly recovered, and sprinted down the main hallway of the Ghost and clambered up the ladder.

“Rex!” She called out as she reached the top of the ladder.

_ No, no, no, _ she thought frantically as she raced down the hallway to the main gunner station.

“Rex!” She screamed, betraying the panic in her mind as she rushed up towards the main cannon. She turned the corner, and saw Rex standing just outside the now sealed blast door, his back up against it and his arms stretched across it, as if holding back the force of the explosion himself.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m okay! I’m fine.” He called out, his voice hoarse.

Catching her breath, she made her way over to where he stood. “We got away from the last of the TIEs. We’re clear...” She breathed, looking around the room as if she could see the space beyond the walls. “I think.”

“Damn,” Rex sighed, finally coming off of where he was seemingly glued to the blast door, eyeing it suspiciously as he did so, like it would blow at any moment. “Those guys never give up, do they?”

Ahsoka shook her head ruefully.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka saw Sabine run down the hall, Chopper hot on her heels, before turning towards the mechanical room, her tools in hand.

“Is everyone okay? Where’s Zeb?” Ahsoka exclaimed towards her. She had no idea if the other cannon was impacted by the explosion.

“He’s fine! He’s with Kanan and Ezra! They’re all gonna go help Hera figure out where the hell we’re going to go now!”

“What can we do?” Ahsoka called out after her.

“For now, just wait! Hera’s getting us out of here! I’ve just gotta fix the cannon before it gets worse!” She exclaimed before running past the both of them. She turned back to them, sighing to herself at their worried expressions. “We should be fine.” She spoke, her tone quieter, as she stepped into the mechanical room. She quickly shut the door after her, leaving Chopper to slam into it behind her.

The room door hissed open again, and Sabine sighed exasperatedly. “Chopper, damn it.” She spoke as the droid quickly wheeled in, grumbling as he did so, and she shut the door again.

“Should we help her?” Rex asked, already starting to follow her. Ahsoka extended a hand to stop him, shaking her head. “I don’t know her well enough yet, but I think we’d just get in her way.” She spoke.

Rex nodded.

“You okay?” He asked her after a few moments passed.

“Fine, you?” 

“I’m good.” He replied, his shoulders relaxing slightly, and he leaned against the side of the wall, closing his eyes.

Ahsoka did the same, across from him. After a few minutes of silence, she heard her comm chirp to life.

“Spectre 2, I’ve got the main cannon under control, I just had to recalibrate. There was no explosion, just a mechanical failure- not  _ nearly _ as bad as it sounded earlier. It should be fine now.” She heard Sabine’s crackled voice speak to Hera. A few moments later, Sabine and Chopper strode out of the mechanical room. 

“Good job. I’m impressed.” Rex said to her, barely lifting his head from the wall as she emerged. Ahsoka nodded in agreement.

Sabine simply gave them a weary thumbs up before heading down the ladder with Chopper, leaving the two of them alone in the now darkened alcove.

“Looks like I overreacted with the blast doors.” He chuckled slightly, running a hand over his head.

“I can’t say I blame you. It sure  _ sounded _ bad.” Ahsoka replied quietly, thinking of her own immediate, paralyzing fear at the sound.

They simply stood there for a few minutes, the shock still wearing off.

Rex reflected on the chaos that had just happened, seemingly out of nowhere. Every shot he heard hit the Ghost was a shot he thought was going to hurt the kid, or Sabine, or any one of the Ghost crew. Or Ahsoka. He ran his hand wearily over his face at the thought. He’d lived without her for this long. If something were to happen to her, he wasn’t sure he could do it again. 

Drawn from his thoughts, he heard Ahsoka’s comm scratch to life once again, and Hera’s voice quickly came over it.

“We’re in the clear, team. They haven’t followed us. Good job, everyone. I’m getting us headed to the Antemeridian sector. We’ll get our supplies there.”

Ahsoka and Rex both listened intently, and as the comm ended, Rex looked up to see Ahsoka already looking over at him.

Breathing out, they simply stared at each other for a few long moments, before Ahsoka started chuckling. Rex cast a puzzled look at her, which only seemed to make her laugh harder until she was quickly doubled over, leaning on her knees for support.

“What...is funny?” He asked slowly.

“Nothing, nothing, I’m sorry.” She spoke, still laughing, but now upright again, dashing a stray tear from her eye. “Nothing.” She spoke, this time more seriously.

“I was just thinking about how I acted today. It was...ridiculous.” She laughed again, contrasting interestingly against her rueful tone. “I’m sorry, Rex. I didn’t mean to-“

He knew what she was referencing.

“Stop.” He spoke, his tone short, and he ran a worn hand over his face before stepping closer to her.

“No, I just wanted to apologize.” She said, raising an eyebrow marking at him, her voice growing more serious. Was he angry at her?

“I...” she hesitated, not knowing if she should continue. But he had to know. Or, she had to tell him. One of the two.

“I just...” she breathed out, summoning her courage. “I still...have feelings for you. I know it’s been awhile. Forever, actually.” She spoke with a slight, rueful laugh, casting her gaze to the floor.

She watched as he walked even closer towards her, standing about a foot in front of her now.

“I just...think you should know. And you don’t feel the same. But that’s okay!” She quickly corrected, painfully summoning a small smile. “I just wanted you to know. And now you do. And it’s totally okay, because I won’t...”

She trailed off as she gradually realized he was still moving closer to her, albeit, very slowly. She looked up directly at him, only to see his eyes tracking over her face, as if searching for something. It was then that she abruptly realized how close he was standing to her.

“...I won’t treat you any differently, if that’s what you’re upset about. We can...we can just forget it ever happened.” She stammered. His face was now very close to hers. “It’s-”

Her words were abruptly cut off as he suddenly leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. She felt her breath catch stiflingly in her throat. She pulled away from his lips in surprise, gazing up at him questioningly.

“I don’t want to forget.” He breathed before capturing her lips again. This time, she simply surrendered, sighing softly in contentment before twining her arms around his neck and dragging his face closer to hers. He responded by lowering his hands to grip her waist, pulling her tightly against him. She felt him pull away, and he leaned his forehead against hers.

“I’m just going to put myself out here, for once.” He whispered, chuckling deep in his chest. Ahsoka smiled at him.

“When I...” he paused a beat, collecting himself. “When I said together to the end, I want you to know I  _ meant _ it. It’s just...I don’t feel like I deserve you, now. Or ever, for that matter. You’re incredible, Ahsoka. You’re young and you’re strong, vibrant, in your prime...”

“Rex...” she started, but he shook his head against her.

“You can do so much better than a middle aged clone, Ahsoka.” He spoke ruefully. His tone suddenly shifted. “And...and we went through so much. I feel like a reminder of the worst time in your life.”

“You’re wrong, Rex.” She spoke firmly.

“What?” He asked, somewhat nonplussed, pulling his forehead from hers.

“You remind me of the  _ best _ time of my life.”

At his bewildered look, she continued quietly.

“We have been through too much together for you to think like this. That week with you was the  _ best _ one I’ve ever had. I don’t ever like to think about how I would’ve ended up if you hadn’t been with me. Or if I would even be alive. You saved me, Rex. In more ways than one.” She spoke steadily, tears beginning to swim across her bright blue eyes.

Rex felt like crying. “All in a day’s work, ‘Soka.” He spoke wryly, his voice thick. “You saved me too.” He spoke more seriously this time, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I never stopped thinking about you. Not once.” She spoke firmly, her voice slightly strangled as she struggled to hold back the tidal wave of emotion that threatened to consume her.

Rex was dimly reminded of his flight back on the Ghost, where he had sat there and read through the hundreds of messages she’d sent him over the years. He felt his heart swell.

“Ahsoka, that’s pathetic.” He choked out, but he still laughed slightly, not being able to resist teasing her. He was never great at emotional conversations- not that he’d had the opportunity to have many of them. But she just smiled up at him.

“Me, neither.” He finished earnestly, bringing one of his hands up to hold her face, his thumb stroking her jawline.

They simply stood there for a few moments, staring at each other, into each other, until Ahsoka broke the silence.

“Rex, I want this. That is, if you’re willing, of course.” She spoke quietly.

Rex laughed out loud. At her confused look, he breathed out before continuing. “I am  _ more _ than willing.” He looked deeply into her eyes, and she felt her entire body, to the tips of her montrals, warm at the love she saw in them.

There was no choice but to kiss him again. Ahsoka leaned forward, capturing his lips into a passionate kiss that he readily returned. He gathered her into his arms, holding her steadfast against him, keeping his hand gently on the side of her face.

She sighed blissfully against him before bringing her hands up to hold his face, her lips moving gently over his. She drew his face closer to hers, not seeming to be able to get him close enough to suit her. He happily obliged her, adjusting the angle of his face to deepen the kiss, feeling a surge of desire course through his veins as she made a soft sound of contentment against his lips.

Suddenly, each of his hands left her face and her back and slid up to grip her upper arms, and he abruptly shoved her away, albeit very gently.

“Rex, wh-” She couldn’t get the question out before she realized what he was doing. She had been so caught up in the moment that she hadn’t even heard Kanan coming up the ladder until he was almost there.

The top of Kanan’s head became visible to her, and she watched as he climbed the rest of the way up, before coming to stand in front of the both of them.

“Ahsoka, I have to thank you for getting that tracker off.” Kanan started. “But what you did was  _ insanely _ dangerous, and I can’t believe-”

“Kanan, it was fine.” She dismissed with a chuckle. 

Rex looked over at her questioningly, raising his brow. 

“Let’s just say, I had to get creative.” Ahsoka responded to him.

He looked over at Kanan, obviously having given up on getting an answer from Ahsoka.

“She crawled to the  _ outside _ of the ship and slashed the tracker off  _ with her saber _ .” Kanan explained to him incredulously. 

Rex just laughed. “Way to go.” He spoke, elbowing her gently.

Ahsoka cast her gaze toward Kanan with an arrogant smirk.

“I see I can’t reason with either of you.” He said exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in defeat. “Come on, Hera called another meeting.” He sighed ruefully.

They turned and smiled at each other after Kanan descended, before Ahsoka turned to follow him down. As they reached the bottom hall, the two of them walked in lockstep after Kanan, who’d already reached the common area. All of the sudden, Ahsoka stopped, just in front of the threshold of the room, turning to Rex. Out of view and earshot of the Ghost crew, she leaned in to whisper to him.

“I love you, Rex. I mean, according to Kanan, I almost died today, so I figured now was as good a time as any to tell you.”

He let out a quiet chuckle at this. “I love you too, Ahsoka.” He spoke, before leaning in to kiss her quickly. With that, they both stepped into the room before taking a seat behind the Dejarik table. Their mutual slight embarrassment at being late quickly subsided as they realized half the crew wasn’t even there. Sabine had showed up about thirty seconds after them, and Zeb ambled in a few minutes later. Hera rolled her eyes. 

“Great, well, I’m glad you could all get around to coming.” Hera spoke sarcastically. “Now, I’m sure you all know, but the cannon is up and running again, and-”

“Thank you, Sabine!” Sabine interrupted sarcastically, gesturing wildly towards the rest of the crew in the room.

“And.” Hera continued firmly, casting the girl a sharp look. “...the rest of the ship is fine. But, some of our paneling came off, and our shields were weakened. We’re going to need to land, and I’ll need to get some replacements, along with supplies. Basically, I’m thinking that-”

Hera’s words slowly trailed off in Rex’s mind, and he increasingly found it hard to focus on what she was saying. He couldn’t stop thinking about Ahsoka. Under the table, out of view of the others, she held his hand in her lap, running her fingers gently over the top of it and along his veins, as if committing its shape to memory. He knew she probably wasn’t even aware she was doing it, as he saw she was still looking directly at Hera, listening intently to what she was saying. It made it all the better.

Gradually, he started thinking about the last few hours. It all felt like a  _ dream.  _ One he’d had many times before, but never expected to come true. He looked over at her, his eyes roaming over her face. He studied everything, the beautifully ornate white markings around her face, her dark lips, her deep blue eyes. He studied everything like he would never see her again. 

He had no idea what was going to come of the next time in his life. In this Rebellion, they could die tomorrow, or twenty years from now. He truly had no idea. But he did know one thing for certain. Although he didn’t want to assume he and Ahsoka would stay together, he had no choice but to believe it. It was evident in the way she looked at him, talked to him, kissed him. It was like the last 12 years had never even happened. It was like nothing  _ bad _ had ever happened. She was steady, constantly there, her compassionate and strong nature unwavering throughout their whole lives, her soul staying with him even when her body was gone.  _ Together to the end, _ he thought distantly. 

He was brought out from his thoughts by Ahsoka releasing his hand, and standing up. He dimly realized the meeting was over, and that the rest of the Ghost crew was beginning to stand up and walk back to their respective cabins.

“You coming?” Ahsoka asked jokingly.

“I’m old, it takes me awhile.” He said with a smirk, before swiftly contradicting his statement by quickly standing to his feet and stretching before coming to walk briskly beside her. 

“I’ve seen how you were in action today, Rex. You’re the farthest thing from old. Get over yourself.” She laughed before turning into the hallway, Rex right behind her.

The hallway was dark, the small fluorescent bar lights illuminating the doors of each bunk and not much else. As they walked together, they finally came to stand alone in front of her bunk, as everyone else had already turned in for the night. Except Chopper, of course, who Rex could still hear puttering around doing gods know what downstairs.

Rex could hear the slight whirr of the ship’s autopilot in the distance, and felt a sense of calm wash over him. Somehow, he felt this was where he was always meant to be.

He cleared his throat. “Goodnight, ‘Soka.”

Ahsoka was quiet for a few brief moments before she cast her gaze up to him, her blue eyes shimmering iridescently in the dim light of the hallway. 

“Did you want to come in?” She asked hesitantly, her voice slightly husky. She watched his throat muscles work as he swallowed hard, before nodding tentatively.

She smiled, before opening the door with a hiss, and he stepped into her cabin behind her.

He felt a tight sensation settle into the pit of his stomach as he came to stop in the middle of her floor. As she turned away to shut the door, he began looking around at her decorations with interest.

Her cabin was tastefully decorated. An ornate blue and white rug was laid out across the floor, and various small paintings of nature scenes from across the galaxy hung up around the room. A white lamp sat by her bedside, with small designs cut into the sides of the shade that cast the whole room in small, almost ethereal yellow beams.

As she followed him inside, his gaze turned towards her, roaming over her body.

“Ahsoka, gods, you are-”

He was abruptly cut off, however. As soon as Ahsoka had shut the bunk door, she turned rapidly on her heel and rushed towards him, grabbing his face roughly into her hands, her fingers running through his well-trimmed beard as she pulled him into a searing kiss.

Rex responded in kind, his lips moving over hers, none too gently. She moved her hands from his face to twine behind his neck, pulling him even closer to her. Encouraged, he placed his large hands on her back, crushing her against him. She responded by lifting up her leg to curve around his waist, dragging their lower bodies together.

He stumbled briefly at the loss of balance this caused, but never lost contact with her lips. Instead, he walked forward slightly to push her against the door, one hand resting beside her head on the door to keep their balance, and the other gently grabbing her behind her knee and hiking her leg up even farther around his waist.

His mind was hazy, his breathing shallow. All he could focus on was the feeling of her warm, impossibly soft lips moving against his. Still leaning her against the door, he left her lips and immediately moved his face down to the side of her neck, kissing and sucking at the soft sienna skin he found there. He felt his heartbeat quickly spiral out of control as she moaned his name softly into the shell of his ear. 

Ahsoka felt like every cell inside her was alive, her entire body buzzing with excitement. She gasped as he gently moved his lips down the space between her shoulder and her neck, biting the skin gently, the friction of his beard sending a shiver up her spine.

_ Finally _ , she thought.

Twisting her hands out from behind his neck, she began to deftly unhook his worn pauldrons, letting them fall to the floor. She then traced her hands up above his broad shoulders, before dragging them down his chest to slowly remove his cuirass. He stepped back from her slightly so that she could pull it off more easily, and he bent down quickly to place the plate on the floor before beginning to work his belt. Ahsoka helped, pulling his blasters out of their holsters and setting them on the bedside table. She watched as he pulled out a knife, a screwdriver, a pack of some kind, and an obscene amount of other tools from his belt. She found herself growing slightly frustrated with how much gear he carried on him.

After he’d finally removed his belt, she sighed impatiently before running her hands over his waist to pull his lower body even closer to hers, gasping as she felt his erection press against her inner thigh. Before she could hesitate, she moved one of her hands out from behind his waist and brought it down to gently palm the tightening region of his pants. She had to bite back a moan as she touched him, realizing that he was even bigger than she had remembered. Feeling his arms tighten instinctively around her, she continued to rub the outline of his erection, his increasingly harsh breaths flitting across her neck.

Sighing, he brought his lips back up to hers and kissed her again passionately, sliding his tongue across her lower lip, as if asking permission. She happily granted it, and adjusted her face to kiss him even more deeply. She began to move her hands to gently slide around to his lower back, gripping his strong muscle. Hesitantly, she began to tug at his shirt, seeking the warm skin of his lower back. This time, though, he obliged her and quickly leaned back, pulling away from her. She simply watched, breathing heavily, her pupils blown wide with lust as he quickly ripped off his black tee shirt to reveal tight, broad muscles, before throwing it haphazardly on the floor and moving in to kiss her again.

Dimly though, he felt the movements of her lips slow, and he pulled back, looking at her in concern. 

“I can stop, Ahsoka, I’m sorry if I-”

“No.” She spoke quickly. Rex watched as she lifted her hand, tracing it gently over his bare chest. He felt himself grow slightly embarrassed.

“That Seelos sun isn’t kind.” He said with a small chuckle.

She just continued staring, and he realized she wasn’t looking at the small, barely noticeable spots that dusted across his olive skin, but instead tracing her hand over a large, jagged scar on his shoulder.

“How did this happen? It looks painful.” She spoke softly, concern threading through her voice.

He looked down at it, and shrugged. “You know, I don’t even remember.” He said with a chuckle.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” She whispered, almost to herself.

Rex sighed, and brought his hands up to cup her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “No way. None of that. It’s not your fault.  _ None _ of this has been your fault. I...I need you to know that.”

“Rex.” She breathed. “I just-”

“No.” He reassured gently. “Don’t worry about it.” He leaned forward to kiss her neck once, his breath husky. “Just don’t worry.” He whispered softly between kisses, beginning to suck on the same spot on her neck before biting it gently. She simply surrendered herself to his touch, and she felt him slowly slide his hands down to her utility belt, unbuckling it and letting it fall gently to the floor. From there, he moved to push the hem of her battle skirt down. As she felt his fingers begin to struggle with it slightly, she laughed breathily and slowly moved his hands away, pushing it down herself.

“I’ll get better at that.” He replied, laughing softly. She simply shook her head goodnaturedly before snaking her arm around his neck to bring his lips back to hers. She felt his strong hands softly stroke her forearms, before deftly undoing her bracers. In turn, she began to work her fingers gently over his pants, tugging slowly at the zipper and undoing the buttons. When she did so, she pulled the waistband down and he quickly kicked them off. Steadily, she began to stroke him through his thin boxers, causing him to shudder violently. Ahsoka looked up at him questioningly, wanting to make sure he was okay with where this was quickly heading.

“Sorry, I, uh- It’s just...been awhile. You can...you can keep doing that.” He chuckled slightly, his breathing heavy.

“Don’t worry, it has been for me too.” She spoke, before leaning forward to kiss the sharp line of his jaw, the hair of his beard tickling her face. “I’ve been waiting for you.” She whispered.

He pulled back to look at her in surprise. “What?”

Suddenly, Ahsoka felt very foolish. “I mean, not really  _ intentionally. _ I just never found anyone I...loved like you. I guess,” she exhaled quickly. “...deep down, I was. Waiting.”

Suddenly, the dam seemed to break inside him. Returning his lips to hers, he began to kiss her deeply, running his hands roughly up and down her curves before bringing them back to forcefully tug down the zipper of her top, quickly moving it off her shoulders, leaving her only in a chest wrapping and her underwear. As surprised by his sudden boldness as he seemingly was, Ahsoka reached her own hands behind her to unfasten the wrapping, letting it fall to the floor. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she felt Rex’s strong hands move to grip the back of her thighs, before lifting her up easily to settle onto his waist. She followed his lead, wrapping her legs around him as she placed both hands on his face, kissing him hungrily.

He moved them from against the door and over to her bunk, laying her down on it before falling gently on top of her. Shifting to sit up, he gently placed his palms between her thighs, spreading her legs apart and settling between them before moving his hands to either side of her shoulders, leaning above her. She moaned his name as she felt his erection brush against her, and she quickly placed a hand over her mouth, realizing how loud she’d just been. 

“I think everyone’s asleep. Hopefully.” Rex laughed huskily, before returning his lips to hers. 

He moved his hand up to palm her breasts, feeling the tips harden between his fingers. He pulled away to look at her briefly, and found himself mesmerized by all the intricate white markings that painted her body, similar to the ones on her face, that he hadn’t seen in years. He’d nearly forgotten she’d had them. Absently, he began running his fingers over them, tracing across the constellations. Embarrassed that he was now just openly staring at her, he moved his eyes up to hers again and saw her blushing furiously. 

“Come on, Rex. Don’t make my ego bigger than it already is.” She chuckled.

He smiled back at her, knowing that a huge ego was decidedly not a part of her personality. Confident, she was. Egotistical, she certainly was not. He brought his lips back to hers, and shifted his body to be able to hook one finger in the waistband of her underwear. Before he began to pull them off, he broke the kiss.

“You’re sure this is okay?” He breathed.

She nodded vehemently.

Pulling on them, he quickly slid them down her smooth legs and cast them onto the floor. 

“Gods, I missed you.” She murmured. 

“I missed you too, ‘Soka.” He replied huskily, before moving his lips up to her lekku and kissing them gently, tracing a hand along her inner thigh and up to her entrance as he did so. He felt what little remained of his self control threatening to break as he felt the moisture along her thighs. Not being able to resist teasing her, he dragged one finger slowly up her upper thigh, letting it roam over her hips. 

“Please...” She gasped, writhing under his touch.

Slowly, he lined his finger up against her and pushed deeply inside. Ahsoka moaned, feeling a wave of pleasure pulse up through her abdomen, her back arching up off her cot. Encouraged, he went even deeper, trying desperately to remember what had felt good for her the last time they were together. 

“Gods, Rex…” She panted. He felt an intense, almost blinding warmth spread through his body at hearing his name on her lips again. He slowly pulled his one finger out, to her immediate disappointment, but she moaned again as he wasted no time in quickly inserting another, rubbing agonizingly slowly inside her. 

Ahsoka felt her entire body shiver, the electricity running all down her legs and up through her lekku, causing them to twitch ever so slightly. Clearly enjoying the response he got from her, Rex placed the pad of his thumb against her clit, rubbing against her gently as he pumped his fingers in and out of her.

“Rex.” She moaned softly. He raised his eyebrows at her. Slowly, he felt her starting to tug at the last of his clothing.

“I want you.” She whispered, her eyes flashing up to his, desperation sparkling across them.

He didn’t need any more convincing than that. He let himself be pushed over onto his back, and Ahsoka quickly climbed on top of him, dragging his underwear down before removing them completely and tossing them behind her. She leaned down to kiss him, all the while gently moving her hand down to grasp him, rubbing him gently with her soft fingers. She grinned against his mouth as she felt him shiver violently, and moan something that sounded like her name against her lips. 

Her eyelids fluttered slightly as she felt the tip of him hovering against her opening, and she held her breath as she lowered herself onto him slowly, before sinking down sharply to fully take him in. She gasped at the sudden, intense pressure, and Rex threw his head back with a groan.

“Cyar’ika…’Soka...” He panted, his words running together as he was barely able to string together intelligible speech in his bliss-addled mind.

She felt his shaking hands come up to hold her hips, and she could tell by the way he was gripping her that he was struggling to hold back from thrusting up into her as she recovered from the initial push. Slowly, she felt her body adjust to his size, and she began moving on top of him, sliding back and forth, the friction causing the dull warmth in her stomach to spread like fire through her whole body. 

Suddenly, she had to resist the urge to cry out his name as his hips bucked up into her sharply, feeling him touch places inside her that hadn’t been touched since they were last together. Chasing the pleasure, she began to quickly pick up speed, placing her hand on his strong chest for leverage, the fire threatening to consume her all too quickly.

“Gods...Rex, I’m...I’m going to-”

His hands left her hips to stroke her face and lekku gently, before he urged her to slow down, and gently pushed her off of him. Puzzled, she followed his lead, but she quickly found out what he was doing. Simply laying back, she gathered him into her arms and brought his lips down to meet hers again as he settled between her legs and pushed inside her deeply. 

“Let go, ‘Soka. I’ve got you.” He whispered, breaking the kiss. She leaned back in response, wrapping her legs around his waist, encouraging him to increase his pace even further. “I’ve got you.” He breathed before returning his lips back to hers.

He felt even bigger from this angle, and Ahsoka moaned into the kiss, not knowing how much more she could take. Her fingers began to shake as they clutched at his back, and she broke the kiss to bury her face in the crook of his shoulder as he quickened his pace, her hips rising to meet his increasingly erratic, powerful movements. She felt her breath become shallow and her lekku begin to tingle pleasurably, a tightening sensation building in her stomach.

“Gods, Ahsoka…” He breathed, not knowing how much longer he would last as he felt her inner muscles beginning to ripple and pulse intensely around him. Struggling to hold on, he gave a couple more long, deep thrusts before he saw her throw her head back into the pillows of the cot, her eyes tightly shut and her mouth parted open slightly in intense pleasure.

_ “Rex…” _ she cried out, and he felt her entire body beginning to tremble and spasm below him.

At the sight of her coming apart underneath him, he felt his stomach tighten and he released into her with a low moan, gasping her name. Stars exploded behind his eyelids as he squeezed them shut, the pleasure racking through his entire body. He shuddered, opening his eyes as the last of the waves gradually washed over him, before bringing his hand up to grip her face gently. 

As Ahsoka opened her eyes again, she smiled up at him radiantly and wiped the small amount of sweat that had gathered on his brow away with the back of her fingers. He leaned down to kiss her lekku gently, then her lips, before pulling out of her. He flopped down next to her, still panting heavily, a delirious smile on his face as he turned to look at her. Ahsoka returned his smile before gently tugging at his arm, and he gladly obliged her, extending it out so she could curl up against his chest. He felt her begin to run her fingers over his bare chest gently, his human hair still apparently fascinating to her. 

The dim light from her lamp cast a glow around the room, the small fragments of light almost coming alive. Ahsoka laid there, simply listening to his soft, even breathing, and the steady beat of his heart beneath her head. The combination was intoxicating. 

“I love you, Rex.” She spoke, her voice slightly muffled by his chest.

“I love you too, cyare.” 

He felt her head come off his chest, her lekku falling gently against him as she propped herself up on her arm to look down at him, running her fingers absently over his high cheekbones.

“You’ve called me that before. What does it mean?” She murmured, her eyes still sparkling.

“What, cyare?” He responded, gazing up at her. She nodded.

“Beloved.” He spoke quietly. 

She smiled brightly at him before returning her head to his chest, her lekku tucking in against his arm.

“Cyare.” She echoed softly. “I like that.” She whispered, letting her fingers return to roam dreamily against his bare chest. She heard him chuckle, and then felt her eyes beginning to slip shut reluctantly.

All too quickly, she could feel herself being dragged to sleep. She instinctively moved even closer to him then, wrapping an arm across his waist, craving the warmth of his body, her fingers ceasing their slow exploration on his chest within moments as she fell asleep.

Rex sighed, running his hands absently over her lekku, feeling them still tingling and twitching slightly beneath his fingers. Distantly, he began to think about how he had gotten here, and how he never wanted to leave. How he had a purpose again, and how he had his love back. Smiling wryly to himself, he supposed that was really all he could ever ask for. 

And as he finally drifted off to sleep, he didn’t dream. After all, all there ever was to dream about was right there in his arms.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, everyone! As always, my biggest thanks to everyone who continues to read, like, and comment. You all never fail to make my day! Without further ado, Chapter 14!

Ahsoka’s eyes flitted open into the darkness of the room. In the distance, she could hear the gentle whirr of the ship’s autopilot, and the small, faraway sounds of a few of the Ghost crew wandering around throughout the ship. Using the small sliver of white light filtering in from under the door frame, she cast her bleary gaze over to the clock on the wall. It was early in the morning. She felt Rex sigh and stir gently in his sleep, before wrapping his arm absently around her waist and pulling her closer to him.

She chuckled slightly but quickly obliged, settling softly back against him. She felt the intoxicating, familiar warmth of his skin seem to seep through and fade into her own, and she smiled.

Had he not been laying right beside her now, she would have been forced to conclude that the events of the night before had all been but a wonderful dream. But nevertheless, there he was. Feeling him shift again softly, she turned around in his arms, propping her chin up on her hand and gazing down at him, running her fingers gently over his face.

She watched as his golden eyes flicked open wearily, before settling on her. She had no choice but to smile back as he smiled up at her, before lifting himself up to face her.

“What time is it?” Rex asked, his voice still thick with sleep.

“Mmm…” Ahsoka began, still running her fingers over his face. “A little after 0700. Everyone else will be up soon, if they’re not already.” She whispered softly, before leaning in to give him a gentle kiss, which he readily returned. Slowly, she felt one of his large hands lift up from the cot, settling on her hips and stroking her curves gently before pulling her closer to deepen the kiss, his bare chest brushing against hers.

Abruptly shattering the moment, however, they heard a shout coming from the common room downstairs.

“Chopper, shut the hell up! You can’t tell me what to do...No, I’m tired of  _ your _ attitude!” She heard Ezra yell at the droid, with considerably more anger than could have been necessary, his young voice cracking sharply as he did so.

She laughed breathily as Rex pulled apart from her with a frustrated sigh, letting his head fall back into the pillows.

“No! No! I  _ am _ gonna tell Hera, and she’s going to be pissed! No, not at me, at you!” The boy cried, and Ahsoka heard some of the downstairs cabinets shake as his feet stomped across the floor below them. She could hear Sabine yelling unintelligibly after him.

“I think that’s our cue, cyare.” Rex spoke ruefully, laughing softly before he came to sit up, running his hands over his face before stepping out of the cot and pulling on his clothes from the large pile on the floor. Ahsoka sighed wistfully and reluctantly followed suit, reaching for one of the few clean, untorn pairs of her leggings on her dresser and pulling them on. The demands of her Alliance position never allowed for many nice clothes to stay nice for long.

Rex walked over to her table and began deftly equipping his belt and clipping on his holsters. She reached down to the pile of clothes, and pulled on her chest wrapping and her shirt before smoothing both of them out. After she did so, she turned to look at Rex, who was still equipping every last piece of all his armor. She found the act oddly attractive.

“How is it that you take longer than me to get ready?” She spoke, quirking a smile and crossing her arms in front of her.

“Not all of us can be as  _ powerful _ as you by ourselves, Ahsoka. I, for one, need as much help as I can get.” He replied with a chuckle, spinning his blasters around his thumbs and pointer fingers and shoving them into their respective holsters with ease.

“Now I suppose that’s true.” She joked, coming closer to him and wrapping her arms around him from behind, gently placing a kiss to the back of his neck. He laughed deep in his chest and turned around in her arms before bringing his hands up to cradle her face, kissing her deeply. He moved his hand to drag gently across her lekku, feeling them tingle ever so slightly in response.

He stepped away from her with a smile and walked over to the door, turning his face towards her before he opened it. 

“So, I’ll move out first, and then you can follow in thirty seconds.” Rex spoke, his tone abruptly turning quiet.

Ahsoka laughed at his display of secrecy and his seriousness. She had figured that since Kanan and Hera knew about the relationship they’d had in the past already, that they had probably just assumed that she and Rex would be reconciling. Rex arched a brow at her laughter curiously, obviously not knowing what she knew. She just nodded, smiling. 

He returned her smile and slipped quickly out the door once the coast was clear, almost treating it like a stealth mission. She sighed, shaking her head with a laugh, waiting obediently for thirty seconds before making her way down to the common room.

She figured she should probably tell Rex that no one on the Ghost would regard their Force-user and clone relationship as any sort of big deal like the former Republic would have, but it was still going to be fun to watch him sneak around. 

Ahsoka walked down the main hall of the Ghost, before descending the ladder into the common room, where she found Kanan in the corner of the area preparing some portion bread for everyone. Looking around the room, she saw that Rex had taken a seat next to Sabine, across from Zeb and Ezra. She strode over to the table and slid in next to him, giving him a small pat on the shoulder, and he turned to give her a smile before turning back to the other two. Glancing around the room absently, Ahsoka didn’t see Hera, but the Captain usually ate her share in the cockpit, anyway. 

Ahsoka watched as Kanan made his way over to the table and unceremoniously dropped the heaping plate of bread on the table in front of all of them, and Ezra rolled his eyes.

“Kanan, seriously,  _ just _ the bread again? Don’t we have anything else?” The boy groaned.

“No.” Kanan spoke in a bored tone, but his statement was quickly contradicted by the bowls of cut fruit and the plate of pastries he sat down in front of Rex and Ahsoka. 

Kanan watched as Ezra swiftly reached over to grab one of the pieces of fruit, but quickly swatted his hand away.

“What the hell, Kanan?” Ezra exclaimed, cradling his hand to his chest dramatically. 

“They’re our guests, Ezra, learn some manners.” Kanan replied tiredly. “Besides, we want them to stick around. You, we’re trying to get rid of.”

Ezra knew better than to take him seriously, and instead just leaned back in his seat with a huff as Kanan turned and made his way up to the cockpit, likely to eat with Hera. 

Ahsoka spoke up softly after Kanan was out of earshot. “Don’t worry,” She winked at Ezra before sliding the plates over to sit in the middle of the table. “We’ll share.” Ezra smiled at her, before reaching in to grab a pastry from her plate only to eat it all in one bite.

Instead of going for the fruit, Ahsoka was amused to see Rex grab for the bread immediately. She couldn’t say she was surprised- being in the army couldn’t have cultivated an advanced palate for him. 

They all ate together rather quickly, before Sabine retired upstairs to continue working on an artwork she had been creating over the past couple days. Zeb and Chopper had gone into the engine room to do the Ghost’s weekly performance check, and now Rex and Ahsoka sat alone at the table with Ezra.

“Do you guys have anything you’re doing right now?” Ezra spoke up after he’d finished off the last of the pastries, having eaten enough to feed three people.

Rex raised a brow and looked over at Ahsoka, who shook her head.

“I have to check in with the Senator at some point, but for right now, not really. Why, Ezra?” Ahsoka replied.

“I was wondering if you guys could help me train?” Ezra asked.

“Sure, kid, but why not ask Kanan?” Rex spoke up in return.

“Kanan won’t teach me the cool tricks that you use, Ahsoka. Between you and me, he probably just doesn’t even know them.” Ezra muttered with a grin, leaning forward in his seat.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes goodnaturedly, before laughing. “I can guarantee you he  _ does, _ Ezra, but he probably just wants to take it slow. So I'm afraid I can’t help you- he’s your master, not me.”

“Ah, come on, Ahsoka. Live a little.” Rex spoke to her with a smirk. She furrowed her brow markings at him, knowing that he only wanted to do it to spite Kanan, but she couldn’t quite resist.

“Fine. Let’s go into the bay hallway.” She said, standing up from the table and smoothing out her clothes, Rex and Ezra quickly doing the same. 

Ahsoka led them out of the common room, and into a large, empty bay hallway adjacent to the  _ Phoenix Home. _ She slid a couple of the empty supply crates out from the sides of the walls, setting them up intermittently throughout the space. Rex quickly took a seat on one of them, and Ezra did the same across from him, and Ahsoka began to speak.

“Okay, Ezra, the key is to always be mindful of your surroundings. You want to be able to rely not just on yourself and your own skills, but your environment, too.” With that, she reached into her utility belt, and swiftly ignited her saber. Ezra did the same, shooting up from his seat on the crate and clumsily reaching for the half-saber, half-blaster abomination he’d created, before igniting it and assuming battle stance across from her.

She jumped back deftly from him, and brought her saber down slowly, attempting to get it near him. The boy responded quicker than she would have anticipated, and blocked her blade expertly. Rex just watched with an amused smile. 

They fought for a while, Ahsoka swinging her saber down to the kid from every direction, only to have him block or dodge it every time. With a smirk, Ahsoka ducked to the ground, swiping her leg out from under her and kicking a crate towards Ezra, knocking him off balance. The kid fell to the ground, but quickly sat back up, rubbing his shoulder ruefully. 

“Use your environment to your advantage, Ezra. Or else your opponent will.” She spoke softly, before reassuming her fighting stance. Ezra clambered to his feet, doing the same, and surprised her by quickly shoving his saber towards her. She was obliged to jump back a few feet, and she smiled at him before lunging back towards him, catching him slightly off guard. 

He lost his balance, and fell to the ground, but caught himself under his bent arm. He swung his saber around to block her sharp advance, and when their sabers were locked together, reached out with his free hand into the Force, sending one of the crates flying towards her from the side. She slid back to dodge it, but smiled at him.

“There ya go, Ezra.” Ahsoka spoke firmly, reassuring him. That seemed to fuel his confidence even further, and the boy quickly brought himself to his feet and rushed after her, looking entirely too proud of himself. She held her ground for a moment, letting him advance, before holding her hand out to stop him. He obeyed, but looked at her curiously, one of his blue brows raised.

“Ezra, behind you.” She said with a laugh.

Ezra turned to see Rex standing behind him, his blaster pointed right in front of his face.

“Click.” Rex spoke, pretending to pull the trigger with his finger. “You’re done for, kid.”

Ezra huffed. “That’s not fair. I didn’t know to watch out for him, too.” He exclaimed, turning back towards Ahsoka.

“Surroundings, Ezra.” Ahsoka chided, tapping her head with her finger. “Surroundings.”

“Come on, again. This time, I've  _ got _ you guys.” Ezra spoke excitedly with a smile, bringing his saber back up near his head. Rex walked around Ezra to stand by Ahsoka’s side, his blaster aimed at the kid, but his finger safely off the trigger and the stun setting on. As per their usual, Rex and Ahsoka advanced in unspoken agreement, running towards where Ezra stood.

Ezra deftly blocked Ahsoka’s hit, and quickly brought his saber back around to block Rex’s advance. Ahsoka dodged the blade and swiftly dropped down to the ground to roll around him, springing up behind him with a laugh. Ezra laughed as well, before turning to block her incoming swing. 

Rex ran a circle around Ezra, before gently kicking out his foot to swipe the kid’s feet out from under him. Ezra laughed again as he fell to the ground, and he was obliged to swing his saber around wildly to block Rex and Ahsoka’s movements. Soon they were all laughing as his crazy movements became increasingly more frantic. Obviously, the kid wasn’t even thinking anymore.

Dimly, Ahsoka could hear footsteps approaching.

“What’s going on down here?” She heard Kanan’s voice call out, echoing against the blank white walls of the bay hall. Ahsoka laughed, turning her attention from the kid to Kanan, her breathing harsh as she collected herself. 

“Ezra wanted to train a bit.” She spoke, wiping a small bead of sweat from her brow with a smile as she flicked off her saber, Ezra doing the same as he quickly stood to his feet.

“With both of you?” Kanan asked, squinting his eyes at her.

Ahsoka cast him a puzzled glance. “Yeah.” She said slowly. “He’s really getting good, Kanan. You’re doing a great job with him.” She added earnestly.

“Right, well then, how about you let me worry about training him.” Kanan muttered.

Ahsoka was taken aback by his abruptly harsh tone. Nonplussed, she nodded. “Okay, Kanan. I- I didn’t think you would mind.” She spoke hesitantly, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Kanan, I asked them to.” Ezra’s voice piped up from behind her. “I just thought you were...busy, and maybe-”

“Don’t lie to me, Ezra.” Kanan interrupted, running a hand over his face.

Quickly growing annoyed by the Jedi’s attitude, Rex decided to jump in. “Kanan, it’s not a big deal. The kid just wanted to-” 

Kanan interrupted him. “Listen, if I ever need training advice from a  _ clone, _ Rex, I’ll be sure to let you know. What do you know about training a Jedi, anyway?”

“Kanan-” Ahsoka warned, her tone low. Rex quickly interrupted her, however. 

“Ah, give it up, Kanan.” Rex spoke harshly, striding over to stand in front of him. “You know, I’m getting  _ real _ tired of you just walking around here like you’re some incredible gift to the galaxy, and-”

“You know, I’m getting real tired of you walking around here  _ at all.” _ Kanan spat. “You don’t  _ need _ to be with us, so if you wanted to do us all a favor and go ahead and find a new Phoenix crew to join, then-” 

“Kanan...” Ahsoka spoke up sharply. “Enough.” But Rex wasn’t done, and she heard him clear his throat.

“You know, Kanan, I’ve been around enough Jedi to know what I’m doing here,  _ probably _ more than you do. I know Jedi, and-”

“Oh, because you’ve killed so many of them?” Kanan challenged angrily.

Rex felt his blood run cold. “I have  _ never _ killed a Jedi.” He spoke, his tone low and dangerous.

“Kanan! Rex!” Ahsoka nearly shouted, startling them both. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ezra observing the proceedings silently, anxiety painted across his young features.

Kanan simply sighed exasperatedly, before turning around to stride back down the hall. Rex quickly moved to go after him, obviously having much more to say, but Ahsoka knew it wouldn’t do any good whatsoever. 

“Rex, no. Let me go.” Ahsoka spoke calmly, placing her arm against his chest. “It’s not about you.” She added, looking towards him. To her surprise, he just nodded and stepped back, his eyes still trained dangerously on Kanan’s receding form. She nodded back to him, and quickly followed Kanan down the hallway. In the distance, she heard Rex and Ezra walk the opposite way, back towards the common room of the Ghost.

Ahsoka turned the corner into the bay, and immediately saw Kanan sitting on one of the supply crates, his head held in his hands.

“What the  _ hell _ has gotten into you?” Ahsoka called out to him, walking over to him forcefully. To her surprise, Kanan didn’t start to yell back. He just lifted his head from his hands, looking up at her, a pained expression settling into the creases of his face.

“I...don’t know.” He replied weakly. Almost immediately, Ahsoka felt her anger drain away.

“You  _ have _ to know that Rex has  _ never _ harmed a Jedi, much less killed one, Kanan.” She said, her tone firm.

Kanan spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. “I know.”

“You do know.” She echoed. “Then  _ why _ are you acting like this?”

“I’m scared, okay?!” He suddenly exclaimed, startling her slightly. “We have no idea what those guys are capable of. I don’t know him, and I’m scared that-”

_ “I _ know him, Kanan!” Ahsoka yelled back, not in anger, but in force. To  _ make _ him understand. “And you trust me. That  _ should _ be enough! You shouldn’t be scared of him.” She continued, her voice leaving little room for argument.

Kanan spoke again. “I’m not scared for me! I’m  _ scared _ for Ezra.”

“Why?” Ahsoka asked incredulously. “Rex has done nothing but help this crew  _ and _ that boy, and you-”

“Because I wasn’t much older than he was when my Master’s clone troopers  _ gunned us down. _ In  _ cold _ blood.” Kanan exhaled a sharp breath, as if trying to calm himself down. “If something were to happen, I just...I can’t let anything happen to him. I can’t.” He finished forlornly.

Ahsoka sighed, taking a seat on the crate next to him, gently placing her hand on his knee.

“I know, Kanan. That’s what makes you a great Master...just like mine.” She said earnestly. “But I need you to know something about Rex. He fought by me and my Master’s sides for _ years. _ He fights by my side every single day. And now, he wants to fight by your’s, and your crew’s, and your apprentice’s.”

Kanan looked over at her.

“Kanan.” She spoke, her voice lowering several octaves. “I  _ know _ what the clones did. I know, because what they did happened to  _ me, _ too. But you have to know that they were good men, used by  _ evil _ forces.”

She continued softly. “I know you can trust Rex, because even though he tried to...kill me during the Order,  _ I _ still trust him. Every single day. I also know you can trust him, because I know  _ you. _ And I know your capacity for forgiveness is stronger than your capacity for hate. It’s what makes you a great Jedi...and a better friend.”

Kanan continued to stare at her, an indescribable emotion passing through his eyes.

Ahsoka sighed. “I understand it won’t happen immediately, but I want you to try. Not for me, or for Rex, but for  _ you. _ You shouldn’t have to live in fear. That’s not freedom, Kanan. That’s not what we’re fighting for.” She finished.

Kanan smiled softly at her. “I  _ will _ try, Ahsoka. I’m…I’m sorry.”

Ahsoka smiled back at him, and was surprised as he reached out and drew her into a hug. Getting over her initial brief shock, she readily returned the embrace. She pulled apart from him after a few short moments, and spoke again.

“You never need to apologize to me, Kanan. Although,” She chuckled. “...it might help your situation with Rex.” 

“I’ll talk to him. No promises, though.” He said with a rueful laugh.

“That’s all I ask.” Ahsoka spoke softly. With that, they both stood to their feet and made their way back to the Ghost.

Kanan gave her a brief smile as they both entered the common room before walking towards the cockpit, seemingly looking for Hera. Looking around, Ahsoka saw no one else in the room and decided to sit down at the table, glancing absently at some of the books strewn across it.

She heard the door shift against the frame as Zeb and Rex walked in, Zeb parting ways quickly and settling into one of the seats across the room before closing his eyes, obviously electing to take a nap right then and there. Rex gave her a smile as he found her, and came to sit down across from her.

“So...how’d it go with Kanan?” He asked tentatively, his body stiffening. 

“Fine, Rex, he-”

Ahsoka was abruptly interrupted by Kanan and Hera entering the room. 

“Ahsoka.” Hera spoke quickly, striding over to stand next to her. Ahsoka turned to face her. “I was going to get the Ghost headed out to Actlyon, and see if I can’t get my hands on some more supplies. You may want to check in with Bail, though, if you want to come with us, because we may be gone for awhile.”

Ahsoka opened her mouth to reply, but Rex interrupted. “Captain Syndulla- I mean, Hera, I could help you with that. I think there’s an old Republic medical base in this sector, that might have what you’re looking for. Then you wouldn’t have to take the whole ship, just a shuttle.” He suggested.

“Well, then, I guess nevermind, Ahsoka. Looks like we’ve got it covered.” Hera spoke with a smile.

“I may still go and check in with Bail in the next little bit, though.” Ahsoka replied.

“Sure thing. Rex, can you come show me the coordinates?” Hera asked, turning her attention to Rex.

“Of course.” He responded, drawing himself up from the chair quickly and following her into the cockpit.

Ahsoka sighed before bringing herself up to her feet, already feeling exhausted from the day that wasn’t even halfway over yet. She stretched a bit before beginning to walk out of the common room, toward  _ Phoenix Home _ to find Bail, to see if he knew of any new intel for her ongoing mission.  _ Anything, _ at all. 

She was getting desperate at this point.

Dimly though, she heard a small noise coming from upstairs. Looking up, she watched as Sabine climbed down the ladder downstairs, walking across the room before sighing dramatically and falling into one of the chairs, apparently having finished with the artwork she had left to work on earlier at breakfast.

“Hard work?” Ahsoka spoke, cracking a smile.

“No doubt, you were really hard to paint.” Sabine replied easily, twining her arms behind her neck.

Ahsoka was taken aback. “What do you mean?” She asked tentatively.

Sabine just laughed. “Want to see?”

Nonplussed, Ahsoka just shrugged and nodded. Sabine smiled at this, and stood to her feet again, gesturing for Ahsoka to follow her.

She walked behind her all the way down the hall and up the ladder, following closely as Sabine guided them into her cabin. Ahsoka looked around futilely in the dark, before Sabine flicked on a lightswitch behind her and the room illuminated, the bright light stinging her eyes briefly. Squinting, she saw a huge mural covering the entire back wall of Sabine’s room, and as she took in all the bright colors, the image swam into view and she gasped.

Sabine had painted the entire crew of the Ghost, likely long ago, given the muted tone of the paint. Ahsoka could see Kanan, Hera, Zeb, Sabine, and Chopper towards the forefront, their previously brightly painted forms beginning to peel from age. Towards the corner, she saw Ezra’s form tacked on to the edge of the mural, and Sabine had pictured him waving goofily to the viewer. And towards the other side, she saw herself and Rex’s figures, smiling faces freshly painted on, right next to Kanan.

Sabine cleared her throat. “It was really tough to get your montrals right. I hope I did ya justice.” She laughed with a shrug. 

Ahsoka was nearly lost for words. “Sabine, it’s beautiful.” She whispered almost wistfully. “You did a wonderful job.” She walked forward to gently stroke the barely dried paint, running her sienna fingers over it and taking it all in. She smiled to herself as she realized the girl had even painted Rex holding his helmet in his arms, the intricate markings on it identical to the real thing.

“Well, thanks.” Sabine chuckled with a slight blush, awkwardly running a hand through her short, colorful hair, obviously not used to such earnest compliments. “You guys are basically part of the family now, so I figured I should make it official.”

Ahsoka felt tears begin to sting her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She was immensely moved to see that Sabine felt the same way that she did. “Thank you...I don’t even know what to say,” Ahsoka laughed, her voice a little thick.

“Eh, don’t worry about it.” Sabine shrugged modestly with a smirk.

Ahsoka collected herself before speaking again. “Listen, I have to get going, I’ve got to go check in with my team. Would you...can you grab Rex at some point, and show him this, too?”

Sabine nodded. “Sure thing.” She spoke easily.

“I think he’d really like to see it.” Ahsoka said earnestly with a smile, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder before turning and walking out of the room.

Ahsoka made her way down the hallway, smiling giddily to herself before she saw Rex, and her smile grew even wider as he turned to face her. At the sight of her, he stopped and leaned against the closed door of his cabin, waiting for her.

“I thought you were leaving!” Rex called out as she approached.

“I am.” She replied with a smirk, coming over to stand in front of him.

“Doesn’t look like it.” Rex joked.

“I am!” Ahsoka repeated, laughing. “I am. I got distracted by Sabine, and her new painting. I told her to show it to you, you’ve got to see it. But I’m going now.”

“Sure you are.” Rex chided. She leaned in to chuck his shoulder playfully, but quickly noticed the teasing look fade from his face. She raised one of her brow markings before turning toward the direction of his gaze, and she saw Kanan walking down the hall. As he approached, he breezed past them silently, and she watched him turn and disappear around the corner.

Turning back to Rex, she lifted her hand to cup his jawline softly, before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek. “Be nice to Kanan while I’m gone.” She whispered.

“I’ll try, but it’s not me, it’s  _ him _ and his  _ stupid- _ ” Rex spoke ruefully. 

“Rex.” Ahsoka chided, her tone verging on pleading.

“Fine.” He said, sighing dramatically. She cocked her head at him and furrowed her brow markings, and he quickly gave in. “Fine, I promise.” He spoke earnestly.

“That’s better.” She spoke softly, reaching up to stroke his bearded face gently. “I’ll see you when I get back.”

“Okay.” He chuckled, and she smiled at him before turning on her heel and making her way over to the bay doors, before turning the switch to shut them behind her.

Rex sighed, watching her form disappear, before turning and wandering back down into the common room of the Ghost. As he walked in, he saw that Kanan was in there, too. Kanan looked sharply up at him as he entered, before turning his gaze from him pointedly. 

Already feeling like breaking his promise, Rex opened his mouth to call him out, but was quickly interrupted as Zeb stood up from his seat and walked over to him, elbowing him playfully. Well, playfully for him. Rex already had a small, growing bruise from where the Lasat had elbowed him before.

“You busy, Captain?” Zeb asked with a smile.

“Won’t be for awhile.” Rex muttered, narrowing his eyes at Kanan.

“You any good at Dejarik?” 

Rex smirked, before turning to look at Zeb. “The best.” He replied with mock arrogance, one brow raised. Zeb already knew better than to take him seriously, and gestured questioningly over to the table. Rex nodded before sitting down in the chair, flicking the switch to power on the game. Zeb sank down with a histrionic sigh across from him, and swiftly took the liberty of going first. 

“Only because I know I’ll have you beat, am I going to let you get away with that.” Rex spoke, gesturing at him chidingly. Zeb just laughed, before placing his character on the board.

They played for a while, the other members of the Ghost crew ambling in and out of the common room around them.

Rex thought for a moment, his hand on his beard, before smiling and moving his piece to a particularly devastating place for Zeb. He laughed as his animated character picked up one of Zeb’s, throwing it violently to the ground in defeat. The Lasat sighed loudly, rolling his eyes, before moving another one of his characters. 

“Things always this  _ slow _ around here?” Rex asked sarcastically.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Zeb replied in mock anger.

Sabine piped up from the corner. “Yeah, Rex, they are. And even the slow times seem to be a  _ little _ too fast for Zeb.” 

“I’m sorry, was anyone talking to you?” Zeb snapped jokingly, turning swiftly toward Sabine with his brow raised. She simply threw her hands up in mock defeat, before looking down at Chopper and shrugging animatedly. The droid gave a happy beep in response. 

Zeb looked back to the board with a huff, thinking for a moment before smirking and moving one of his characters forward, before leaning back in his seat triumphantly. 

Rex simply smiled at him, and without looking at the board, moved his character up to immediately destroy the one Zeb had just placed.

“Ha! Chock another one up for the clone.” Rex laughed.

Zeb chuckled ruefully, before sighing and running his hand over his head.

“Takes more than brawn to win this game, big guy.” Rex added, smirking infuriatingly at him while tapping the side of his head.

“Heh, maybe I  _ let _ you win.” Zeb replied mockingly, before pressing the button to start up another game. Rex laughed at this- they were obviously going to be at this for awhile. That, or he  _ could _ just let him win. 

_ I’d rather die _ , Rex thought to himself with a smile. Dimly, he heard noisy footsteps barge into the common room, and immediately knew Ezra had entered without even looking up. He watched as Kanan stood up from across the room, striding over to meet him. 

“Let’s get a little training in, huh?” Kanan suggested, slapping the kid on the back before looking pointedly over at Rex. Rex just sighed and rolled his eyes- this was getting pathetic.

“How about you lift Chopper?” Kanan continued, gesturing toward the droid. 

“Lock it down.” Rex heard Sabine whisper to Chopper, and he watched as the locking mechanism clicked into place, and he had to quickly stifle his laughter. He watched, entertained, as Ezra sighed and reluctantly extended his hand, shaking slightly, his eyes tightly shut in intense concentration.

“Look through the Force. Use the Force.” Kanan said softly, close to the boy’s ear. “Picture him in your mind. Come on, Ezra. Lift Chopper up.” He spoke firmly. 

The boy shook with the energy, and Rex suddenly felt bad for him, even though he was still on the verge of dying from laughter. “I can't do it!” Ezra exclaimed exasperatedly, giving up all too quickly and throwing his hand down.

Rex decided to put him out of his misery. “Hey kid,” He said, leaning back in the chair to face Ezra. “...while you're looking through the Force, don't forget to look with your  _ eyes _ too. Droids’ got his feet locked down.” He spoke with a smirk.

Sabine cackled from across the room, slapping her knees sarcastically. 

“It's not fair!” Ezra yelled.

“Most battles aren’t.” Kanan replied stoically.

Rex spoke again, this time more seriously. The kid had been made fun of enough today. “The Jedi general I served with combined the Force  _ with _ his wits, and it made him a great warrior.” He finished in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. It seemed Kanan was putting a lot of pressure on Ezra- he was talented, that much was true, but the man seemed to be forgetting he was still just a kid.

Kanan rolled his eyes. “Ezra has  _ enough _ wits, what he  _ needs _ is discipline.” He spoke, now just seemingly more annoyed at Rex’s words rather than fearful of his presence.

“Well, then, you better let a soldier handle that.” Rex responded, a slight harshness filtering through his voice, obviously still not quite over their fight from earlier.

“Excuse me?” Kanan questioned, stepping closer to him, and Rex rose from his seat to walk towards him, his brow raised. He heard Ezra sigh exasperatedly beside them. Rex hadn't exactly been  _ trying _ to make Kanan angry again, but it seemed to him that the Jedi was being intentionally testy.

Dimly, Rex heard Hera coming down the ladder, and he was flooded with relief.  _ Finally _ , he thought with indignation.  _ Someone sane.  _

“Sabine, mission for you and Chop.” Hera spoke firmly, looking over at Sabine. “Thanks to Captain Rex, I found an old base where we might be able to salvage some much needed medical supplies.” 

Sabine immediately nodded, standing to her feet quickly. In the back of his mind, Rex felt himself questioning Hera’s judgement. He knew the Mandalorian girl was more than capable, but the base he’d suggested wasn’t what one would  _ typically _ call safe. He began to open his mouth to volunteer to go with her, but was abruptly cut off. Almost as if she had heard his thoughts, Hera spoke again. “Zeb, you should go too.” Rex sighed slightly with relief.

To his immediate frustration, however, Kanan spoke up again, with more than a hint of sarcasm running through his voice. “Better find the medical supplies quick, Captain Wits is about to need them.” Rex just rolled his eyes.

“Aha, so that's where the boy’s lack of discipline comes from, hmm?” He spoke derisively, arching a brow at him.

“You’re saying I lack discipline?” Kanan challenged, stepping closer towards him. Rex stood his ground, not even  _ slightly _ intimidated, more embarrassed for the man in front of him. 

“Yeah, that's exactly what I said.” He responded, his tone unbothered.

Kanan chuckled mockingly. “Funny. But a soldier's discipline doesn't compare to a Jedi’s. It takes  _ far _ more discipline  _ not _ to fight.”

_ Funny _ , Rex mocked in his mind.  _ The behavior of every Jedi  _ I’ve _ ever met would seem to prove otherwise. _

Rex watched Ezra’s movements behind Kanan, seeing the kid throw his hands up in exasperation and climb the ladder up to the shuttle with Sabine and Zeb, huffing the whole way.

“Oh, so you’re just going to ask the Empire to lay down their weapons, and give up, huh?” Rex spoke derisively. He didn’t know how much longer he could deal with this guy. Not without Ahsoka in the middle, at least.

“No, that's not what I meant.” Kanan spoke exasperatedly. “What I  _ meant _ is that Ezra has got to learn to stay in the moment, to be present.” He finished firmly. “You got that, Ezra?” He said, turning to where the boy had been standing, but the boy had since disappeared. Kanan just continued to look around disconcertedly. 

“Ezra?” He called out.

“Kid left with Zeb and the girl. You’re very observant, Master Jedi.” Rex said sarcastically, waving his finger animatedly up toward the roof where the shuttle had just taken off from, before turning on his heel and heading up the ladder to his bunk.

“Yeah, whatever!” He heard Kanan call out from behind him. Rex just rolled his eyes. He had tried, after all. Well...sort of. But that’s not what he’d be telling Ahsoka.

He turned into his bunk, settling down on his cot before pulling his blasters from their holsters. He laid them out on the blankets, before reaching into his pack and taking out blaster oil and a rag and beginning to clean the weapons.

Rex stayed in his room for a couple hours, polishing all his weapons over and over, not really knowing what else to do with himself. As he looked down at his now almost offensively shiny knife, he sighed frustratedly- at least on Joopa base, there was always something to do. Even if it meant constantly rescuing Gregor from one thing or another. 

He drew himself up from the cot and ambled over to his bunk door, opening it with a click before heading down the ladder to the common room. Maybe Hera had something for him to do. As he entered though, he saw Kanan sitting alone at the Dejarik table, looking over the board, obviously staring off into space.

Rex sighed. Kanan seemed to be just as frustrated with his free time as he had been. Maybe it was time to bury the hatchet, if only for Ahsoka’s sake. “Hey.” Rex spoke quietly. Kanan glanced up at him, his brow raised challengingly. “You need a second player?” Rex asked.

The pointed look quickly retreating from his face, Kanan just nodded, gesturing weakly to the seat across from him. Rex gladly took it. The Jedi reached down to power on the game, and they sat there playing for a few minutes, neither of them really saying a word. Very reluctantly though, Rex began to enjoy himself. After all, Kanan seemed to be a better match for his skills than Zeb, who hadn’t been playing the game for long.

_ That makes at least one thing we have in common _ , Rex thought wryly to himself. It was a start, he supposed.

He looked up and saw Kanan smile deviously, the first smile Rex had seen from him, as he moved his character over to Rex’s, swiftly destroying it. 

“Ha!” Kanan exclaimed excitedly, but he quickly resumed his guarded tone toward Rex. “I win.”

Distantly, Rex heard Hera enter the common room. 

“Are you two still at each other’s throats?” Hera spoke exasperatedly, rolling her eyes before coming to stand behind Kanan, flicking the side of his head sharply as if to punish him. To Rex’s surprise, Kanan just smiled up at her. “No...we’re, uh, we’re getting better.” He spoke.

Rex couldn’t help but notice his words, and he felt a slight sliver of hope that they could be friends yet. He smiled at the thought.

“Looks like you  _ can _ be disciplined when you set your mind to it.” Rex retorted playfully, joking with him.

“What? Wait, are you trying to say you're teaching me a lesson?” Kanan spoke.

“There are many ways to find victory.” Rex said simply, a slight smirk playing over his features.

“I’m not sure if I like you more or less now.” Kanan admitted quietly. 

Over his head, Rex heard the familiar clambering of Ezra’s clumsy footsteps, and saw the kid slide down the ladder, quickly swiping his, in Rex’s opinion, overgrown hair out of his face. Behind Ezra, he saw Zeb and Sabine appear. Suddenly though, he realized how rough they all looked. He was about to question if they were okay, but he was swiftly interrupted.

Kanan huffed. “Speaking of lack of discipline, Ezra, we need to talk.” He spoke pointedly.

“Yeah, we do…” the kid mumbled quietly. “...about the two Inquisitors we just ran into.” Rex felt his entire body stiffen, and based on the now tense energy in the room, he knew Hera and Kanan had the same reaction to his words.

“Inquisitors?” Kanan whispered, seemingly not wanting to hear the answer. Rex turned to him questioningly, and saw him staring at Ezra. Well, seemingly just behind Ezra, a faraway, haunted look in his eye. Rex had seen that same look, entirely too many times. He was forcibly reminded of that horrible day when he had rescued Echo, and the look in his brother’s eyes. Before he could be dragged agonizingly back into that memory, however, he heard Sabine speak up.

“Yes, two. We got lucky. Zeb saved us. Without him, it could've been bad.”

“Well done, soldier.” Rex spoke earnestly, nodding his head respectfully toward the Lasat, who just shrugged. Dimly, Rex felt an intense guilt settle into his chest. He supposed he couldn’t possibly have known that Inquisitors had been aware of that base, but he felt responsible nonetheless. He  _ always _ did.

_ I should’ve gone with them, _ he thought distantly.  _ It should’ve been me. _

“It was a group effort.” Zeb continued modestly. “Those Inquisitors are nasty business. Kanan, why didn't you tell us there were more of them?”

After a few moments of silence, Rex turned to Kanan only to see he was still staring absently at the wall behind the boy.

Hera replied, seeming to notice Kanan’s current state. “Commander Sato wants a full report, Ezra.” She spoke softly, laying her hand on the kid’s shoulder and guiding him out of the room.

“We did get the supplies, some of them.” Ezra spoke, as if starving for an ounce of recognition.

“That's good news.” Hera reassured him, gently smoothing down a crop of his blue hair that was sticking up. “I'll meet you three on the command deck.”

The three of them began to amble out of the room, Sabine rubbing her arm over her head ruefully. Before they all disappeared from view, Rex heard Ezra speak up quietly. With this kid, that quiet tone almost certainly meant something was very wrong.

“Kanan, they knew about Ahsoka.” He said, barely above a whisper, slight fear infusing his normally jovial voice, causing it to quake ever so slightly. He then turned and left the room, his head sinking below his shoulders.

Rex stood there in shock. All the memories of the Inquisitor on Abafar invaded his mind forcefully, almost as if he was living it right then. He felt the air of the room suddenly grow stifling cold, and his pulse began to hammer in his chest. He had known there was still a threat- but foolishly, he wanted to think it would never find them here, and now. 

_ Ahsoka, _ he thought distantly. Suddenly, he wanted her in his arms. Immediately. To touch her, to know for certain he was safe. He felt his mind beginning to race, and his eyes lost focus.

“Did you know there was more than one?” Hera spoke toward Kanan, after a few tense, silent moments had passed, her voice a distant echo in Rex’s mind.

“No, I didn’t.” Kanan replied, his voice shallow. He ran a tired hand over his weary face, looking like he’d aged twenty years in a second. “Do you think Ahsoka knows?” He continued.

It took Rex a couple moments to realize Kanan was even talking to him. Forcing himself to return to the present, he turned to face him. 

“I honestly don't know.” Rex replied weakly. Except, he did.

“We really have no idea what we're up against.” Kanan spoke hollowly, almost as if another person had taken over his body.

Rex sighed, feeling the breath hitch in his throat at the memory of the Inquisitor. He felt the painful memories begin to flow through him, feeling them inflict pain on his body as if they had physical forms. He remembered how the Utapaun on Abafar had torn everything apart. And now that he was gone, he had simply been replaced. This would never end.

The nightmares would  _ never _ be over.

He felt a strangling panic crawl its way up through his body.

Unfortunately, he knew  _ exactly _ what they were up against.

As if one cue, he heard Ahsoka enter the room, having memorized the pattern of her quiet but firm footsteps and the click of her worn battle boots.

“Hey, everyone.” Ahsoka greeted in her typical friendly, upbeat tone, shutting the door behind her. Rex, Hera, and Kanan turned immediately to look at her, and she felt her body suddenly grow tight at the sight of the fear painted across their faces. These were the three bravest people she knew. What the hell had happened? 

“Is everything okay?” She spoke out hesitantly to all three of them, but her eyes settled subtly on Rex. She felt his anxiety through the Force, as intensely as if it was inside her own mind. She attempted to make steady, reassuring eye contact, trying futilely to relieve it for him.

“Ahsoka…” Rex spoke nervously before clearing his throat. “Can we talk for a minute?”

She nodded, nonplussed, but gestured for him to follow her out the door all the same. As they stepped into the hallway, she turned to look at Rex, her worried eyes tracking quickly over his face.

“Do you...remember the Utapaun Inquisitor that found us on Abafar?” Rex whispered after a moment, leaning in so she could hear him.

Ahsoka nodded aggressively, anxious for him to get to the point. “How could I forget?”

“Well,” Rex continued quietly, “...did you know Kanan killed him?”

To his surprise, she nodded. “Yeah, I did. He was with me when I killed another one of them, many years ago. After that, we both found out about the Grand Inquisitor, and Kanan was able to defeat him much later on.”

Rex looked taken aback. “Then...why does he seem to be surprised that there are more? Is there something he isn’t telling us?” He spoke, a hint of suspicion coloring his tone as he held his chin in between his fingers and looked down at the floor, as if lost in thought.

Ahsoka shook her head quickly, frantically trying to dispel any notion of mistrust that Rex was beginning to feel towards Kanan.

“I don’t know, Rex. Why? What are you talking about? Did something happen?”

Rex flicked his eyes up from the floor, and nodded slowly. “Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb were on a supply mission on that medical base I told them about- Inquisitors found them there. They...tried to kill them, and then tried to use the kid to lure in the rest of the crew.”

Ahsoka’s heart froze in her chest. “Oh my gods, are they okay?” She whispered harshly, her eyes making frantic contact with his. Before she could get the sentence out, Rex was already nodding.

“Wait…” Ahsoka trailed off. “Did you say  _ Inquisitors? _ Like, they were working together?” 

He nodded again, his expression grim.

A harsh exhale left Ahsoka’s body, and she passed a tired hand over her face. “Vader’s learning.”

Suddenly, she straightened, bringing her hand back down to her side.

“Where were they last seen?” She spoke firmly.

“The medical base I sent them to, I’d have to check the coordinates. Zeb said he hadn’t seen them leave, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t. Wait...why do you ask?” Rex responded.

“I need those coordinates. I’m going after them. This ends now.”

“Wait, Ahsoka,  _ what? _ No. You don’t want to mess around with these guys.” He said urgently, but she was already moving away, heading straight down to the shuttle bay, her footsteps loud and intentional.

“Ahsoka, wait!” Rex called out, before swiftly running up next to her, walking in lockstep with her.

“You shouldn’t go by yourself! You should bring me with you. And Kanan, and Hera. And Zeb! What  _ ship _ are you going to take? What’s your plan?”

Ahsoka was already shaking her head, and she turned on her heel to face him. “I’m  _ not _ putting you and the others in danger. Besides, how did Kanan react when he found out about the Inquisitors?”

Rex searched her face for a moment, before tentatively answering. “Not well.”

She raised a brow marking at him, as if proving her point. “Exactly. Rex, I can handle myself. Besides, they know about Kanan and Ezra, but  _ not _ me. I can get the drop on them.” She spoke before turning back and striding towards the shuttle again, her facial markings furrowed in determination.

Rex sighed exasperatedly before running after her again. 

“At least take  _ me _ with you!” He shouted after her incredulously.

“I don’t want you in danger, Rex!” Ahsoka called out over her shoulder. She suddenly stopped as she felt his hand firmly grasp her shoulder, forcibly turning her attention towards him.

He breathed out before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper. “Ahsoka, I- the kid said they mentioned you. By name.”

Ahsoka just sighed, her body seeming to weaken right in front of his eyes. 

“They knew that attacking Ezra would get your attention. They’re  _ counting _ on you coming, ‘Soka. They’re waiting for  _ you.”  _ Rex continued.

“Listen, if you won’t bring anyone else, bring me. You’ll want the backup. Unless I’m not good enough for you anymore.” He challenged.

“Rex, you  _ know _ that’s not true. It’s just...I’m scared.” She murmured.

Rex’s harsh tone immediately faded, and he loosened his grip on her shoulder, before squeezing it reassuringly. 

“It’s okay, Ahsoka. That’s why I’m offering to come  _ with _ you.” 

“I’m not scared for  _ me, _ Rex!” She shot back firmly, her voice bordering on pleading. “If I took you along, or  _ anyone _ else along, and something happened to one of you, I-”

“Well, then, you just take me along, and then we’ll worry about that if it happens.” He spoke, obviously not budging on the issue.

“Rex, no, I can’t-”

_ “Yes, _ you can.” He finished, forcing her to look him in the eye. Suddenly, his expression changed as a wry smile spread across his face. “Besides, I think you’re forgetting I have a score to settle with these guys, too. Don’t rob me of this, ‘Soka.” He chuckled breathily. “I’ll take it personally.”

She had to laugh at this. The laugh rapidly trailed off into a sigh, and she reluctantly nodded. 

“Okay.” He replied, his tone almost excited. “Let’s go let the crew know we’re off. We should probably tell them we’re going after Inquisitors, and to be on the lookout for-”

“Oh my gods.” Ahsoka groaned, rolling her eyes dramatically as a smile touched her face. “I barely got through this conversation with  _ you, _ I can’t do it with two more people. Besides, Hera will win if I go up against her.”

Rex laughed at this. She was probably right.

“No,” Ahsoka continued, the smile sliding from her face. “...we go now, and we go alone. We’ll tell them afterwards.” She finished, turning towards the end of the hallway and picking up her pace again.

Rex nodded firmly, and followed her in lockstep to the shuttle bay of the Ghost. All their gear was on them already, as per usual. Now they just needed a ship. Ahsoka figured Hera wouldn’t mind if she borrowed the Phantom...well, hopefully. 

_ I better be safe than really, really sorry, _ she thought to herself with a smile.

“Hera.” Ahsoka spoke, holding her wrist comm up to her face as Rex walked next to her, checking his utility belt absently for all his weapons. “Can I take the Phantom for a supply run?” 

Hera’s voice crackled over the comm. “That’s fine. You scuff it again, though, and I scuff you.”

“Relax, I get it.” Ahsoka laughed before switching off the comm. 

They both continued to walk forward with a silent resolve before coming to a stop outside the Phantom. Ahsoka input her access code expertly into the panel, and the doors hissed open. Rex stepped inside first, quickly taking his place in the copilot seat of the shuttle. Ahsoka followed, settling into the pilot’s seat and flicking on the dash controls. She was grateful to realize the supply packs that laid against the walls, containing a few credits, water, and rations, had been replenished by the Ghost crew earlier.

“You have their last known coordinates on you, Rex?” She asked as she pulled the ignition shaft, hearing the engine roar to life.

He nodded, and dug around in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a small chip and inputting it into the dash. Ahsoka focused her attention back to the bay, expertly drifting the shuttle out into open space, before pulling the hyperdrive and sending them shooting out into hyperspace.

“So, you got a plan for when we get there?” Rex asked absently, staring at the bright beams of light streaking by.

Ahsoka shook her head with a smile. “When have I ever, Captain?”

Rex laughed at this. “Just like old times.” He spoke, returning her smile.

Dimly, Rex began to wonder about what they would find at the old base. Even though they were both joking around like they were on a run-of-the-mill mission, he couldn’t help but notice the sinking feeling that had settled into his chest at the prospect of fighting, or even  _ finding,  _ the Inquisitors. He knew why she was going- she was worried for the kid’s safety, as well as for the rest of the Ghost crew. As was he, for that matter. 

Of course she wanted to go. She was  _ always _ the one to take on any risk, to face any danger. He knew this, because it was the same reason he was going, after all. In fact, their mutual self-sacrificing spirit and dedication to their friends was always why he’d thought they were so close.

But still, he couldn’t help but wonder if Ahsoka knew what she was in for, going after the team of Inquisitors. Either she didn’t, meaning  _ neither _ of them knew what they were about to walk into, or...she did.

And that might just be worse.

About a half hour went by before Ahsoka guided them out of hyperspace, and Rex saw the abandoned medical station slowly drift into view. It had been ravaged by neglect, large pieces of it floating off absently, just waiting to be lost forever in the endless dark vacuum of space. The former station of the everlasting Republic, now all but destroyed. Empty, dark, dead.

He couldn’t help but find it metaphorical.

Rex dimly heard Ahsoka suck in a sharp breath, before piloting the shuttle over to the station’s main bay entrance. Her thoughts seemed to be in the same headspace as his.  _ Typical, _ he thought with a small rueful smile.

“The bay doors are closed.” She muttered, almost to herself. 

Rex nodded. “I think there’s another entrance on the starboard side, if I remember correctly.”

“Thanks.” She replied, her tone quiet and solemn, almost as if she was paying respects.

Suddenly, Rex heard the all-too-familiar scream of a TIE fighter engine. He quickly flicked his gaze over to the bay doors of the old medical station, and saw the TIE flying rapidly away from the wreckage.

Right towards their shuttle.

“Ahsoka!” He shouted. But she had already seen it.

Ahsoka quickly turned the shuttle on a dime, making it lurch forward as she swiftly increased the speed. Bracing herself, she held her breath, waiting to hear the inevitable sounds of the TIE firing behind them. Though, as the seconds began to tick by, seemingly in frames, she suddenly realized she didn’t hear anything. 

Turning the shuttle around hesitantly, she squinted her eyes at the TIE, and saw it had turned from its previous course and was now heading out into the starry distance. 

“Rex, divert power to thrusters.” She spoke, her voice quiet in contemplation. She heard Rex quickly go to work on the main controls, flicking the diversion switch and pulling the drive shaft back forcefully.

_ What are they doing? _ She wondered to herself.  _ They had to have seen us.  _

Ahsoka was rapidly growing less scared, and more...confused, by the minute. She piloted the shuttle to follow behind the TIE closely, but far enough away as to not draw fire. As their position drew closer and closer to the fighter, she saw a small moon slowly render into view. Squinting her eyes towards the path in front of them, she furrowed her brow markings as she felt a small change in the Force around her. 

Though, she still kept her gaze trained on the TIE they were following.  _ What...is that? _ She thought distantly.

All at once, Rex shouted suddenly. “Ahsoka, stop!” 

She was abruptly startled by his sudden volume, and turned to him sharply. “What? Rex, what?”

“Ahsoka, stop right now!” He yelled, before reaching down to quickly release the drive shaft and push it back up, slowing the ship down rapidly. Ahsoka could hear the harsh metallic grinding of the engine gears as he did so, and she was abruptly slammed into the dash with the force of the sudden stop.

Catching herself with her forearms, she quickly shot out her hands to grab his own, pulling them from the controls and stopping his movements.

“Rex,  _ what _ is going on?! I’m trying to follow them! It looks like they’re heading there, and they might not have seen us, so-”

She stopped speaking as Rex snatched his hands from hers roughly, before standing up and leaning over where she sat in the pilot’s seat. He swiftly locked down the dash controls and pulled the steering mechanism from her grasp, sending the shuttle flying in the other direction.

“Rex!” She exclaimed.

“We don’t have time to argue about this. We have to go, and  _ right _ now!” Rex yelled, his voice harsher than she’d ever heard it. Directed towards her, at least.

Dimly, she felt the shuttle begin to rock and shake unexpectedly, the metal clattering sounds coming in through the vents. Rex moved even closer to her then, leaning almost entirely over her and still frantically flicking controls on her side of the dash. She was quickly forced to stand up and he abruptly settled into the pilot’s seat. She was about to open her mouth to ask, in not so nice terms, just what he thought he was doing. But before she could, she realized his breath was coming out harsh and ragged, and his hands were shaking terribly as they operated the controls. 

Suddenly, she realized she hadn’t seen him this terrified in a very long time. Likely, ever.

So instead, she just moved into the copilot’s seat. As she saw Rex flick off the final release switch, she took her cue and pulled the hyperdrive shaft back to send the shuttle hurtling into hyperspace. As she watched the beams of light streak by, she found Rex was still breathing heavily.

“Rex, what is happening?” She exclaimed, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

He just continued to look out the windshield, his eyes tracking across the space in front of them wildly, as if he expected the shuttle to be destroyed or ripped violently from hyperspace at any moment.

Quickly, he reached down to release the hyperspace drive, and took control of the steering mechanism as they abruptly lurched back into deep space. This time, Ahsoka saw a small planet in front of them, and she just watched as Rex slowly guided the shuttle towards it, his hands still shuddering violently.

“Rex?” She asked again quietly, but the question came out as more of a tentative statement.

Rex breathed out raggedly, before lifting a hand to run over his face.

“I’m...sorry.” He breathed, his voice rough like he had swallowed glass. “I just, I had to get us out of there. I didn’t…” He exhaled sharply, as if catching his breath. She could feel his intense fear through the Force. It encircled around him, almost as if choking him. “I didn’t have time to explain.”

“Rex, what’s wrong?” She whispered as he steered them ever closer to the small planet.

“Have you...heard anything about the Imperial activities on Geonosis?” He spoke, his voice lower than she’d ever heard it.

Swiftly, she was reminded of her and Cassian’s mission on Geonosis that felt like forever ago, though it had only happened a week earlier. She remembered the empty, forgotten planet, and the completely unexplained disappearance of an entire race. They’d known at the time that the Empire was involved. But how, was still to be discovered. 

So she shook her head.

“I was dispatched there, along with my Captain, to investigate the disappearance of the Geonosians…” Ahsoka spoke slowly, feeling a tightness settle in her chest. “But, we didn’t find anything...of note, but-” 

Rex cut her off gently. “I heard...rumors, out on Seelos. That the Imperials were building something...big, out there.” He shook his head with a sigh, almost as if kicking himself. “I didn’t...I didn’t believe it at first. But some of the people, out in the main market, were talking about a…”

“A what, Rex?” She choked out, feeling the anxiety that had previously settled in her chest spread agonizingly through to her fingertips.

“A...weapon. With...planet ending capabilities.” He spoke with a slight shiver.

Slowly, the shuttle began to shake slightly as they entered the small planet’s atmosphere, the orange heat blowing forcefully against the glass windshield. 

Rex cleared his throat, his breath catching and making his voice come out thick. “I didn’t  _ want _ to believe it, but one of the mechanics I knew out there was a Geonosian, part of a manufacturing guild based in Geonosis. I guess, his guild told him that the Empire halted all private activities, and diverted all resources to building this weapon. I-umm-”

“Rex.” She pressed as he trailed off.

He continued. “He never heard from that guild again, after that. He ended up showing me some blurry satellite pictures that he’d taken. To see, what had happened to his friends, you know? The Empire...they built a huge station out there, bigger than anything I’d ever seen, even from the Republic. I’d never heard it mentioned again, and I never saw it again either...until now.”

Ahsoka felt her blood run cold.

“I have no idea what thing is capable of...but I recognized it immediately. I’m sorry to have...scared you, but I-” Rex laughed ruefully. “I didn’t want to find out. So I figured the farther away we were from it, the better. I- we can get supplies here, so at least we won’t go back empty handed.”

Ahsoka stared off in silence for a couple moments, before he hesitantly spoke again.

“I’m...sorry, about the mission. But I-”

“Rex, no.” She interrupted, the faraway look fleeting from her eyes. “Don’t worry about that right now. Believe me, I’ll find the Inquisitors.  _ We _ will.” She emphasized. “I’m more worried about…”

Rex turned to her, and nodded gravely. 

As the ground drew closer to the shuttle, he turned away from her, steering the Phantom onto a small hill overlooking a modest city. The landing gear shot out with a thud, and Ahsoka heard the hissing of the mechanical joints releasing. Standing up, she pressed the button to open the door of the shuttle, and Rex came over to stand behind her. As the ramp extended, they both stepped out, blinking into the darkness of the sky. They looked out over the horizon, and saw the purple and green neon lights of the city twinkling interestingly in contrast to the bright stars above them.

Stepping their way down the slight cliff, they reached the city quicker than they anticipated. Ahsoka led the way, striding up to the first vendor they could find in the huge market square. Being the end of the day, the vendor advised them that there wasn’t much for sale, but that he’d sell what he had at a discount to close up shop earlier.

Ahsoka agreed, and they bought what little medical supplies they could before heading back to the shuttle, meager supplies in hand. As they trudged back up the side of the cliff, Ahsoka broke the focused silence that had settled between them over the last twenty minutes.

“I wonder if Bail knows about the weapon.” She mused.

Rex shrugged, the supply boxes in his arms shifting as he did so. “I don’t know if  _ anyone _ really knows.”

Ahsoka nodded absently. “I’ll tell him.”

The outline of the Phantom slowly crawled into their view, its edges barely distinguishable from the backdrop of the night sky. They took the final few steps towards it, and as they did so, Ahsoka felt a tingling sense of unease creep up her spine, causing her to shiver ever so slightly. Dimly, she began to hear small scuffling sounds echoing out from the inside of the shuttle.

Rex seemed to notice the noise at the same time as Ahsoka, and they both abruptly came to a sharp stop just outside the Phantom. Their previous close encounter with the Empire had put them both incredibly on edge, and now, there was danger waiting around every corner. Ahsoka suddenly began to wonder if they’d been followed. After all, there was seemingly no way that Imperial TIE  _ hadn’t _ seen them earlier.

As if in unspoken agreement, they both slowly bent down to place the supplies they’d gathered on the ground outside the shuttle.

“You hear it too?” Rex spoke quietly under his breath. Ahsoka just nodded.

He nodded back, not turning to look at her. Slowly, he lowered his hands to hover over his blaster holsters, and tightened his grip around them. Ahsoka breathed out, before reaching inside her utility belt to grab her lightsaber before igniting it, the luminous white blade stretching out with a hum. She waited a couple moments to see if the sound would attract any unwanted attention. It didn’t. 

They both then walked forward in lockstep, Ahsoka taking the lead and peering into the dark room of the shuttle.

Inside, she could hear intermittent light crashing, as if someone was rifling through their things and then throwing them against the wall. She heard the intruder cough roughly. Tentatively, they both moved further into the cockpit, and Ahsoka was obliged to use her saber to light the way through the dark.

They both abruptly froze in place, however.

Looking around the small room of the shuttle, they quickly found there was no one there. Ahsoka stopped for a beat, casting her gaze rapidly around the room.

“How did they slip out without us seeing?” Rex asked quietly after a few moments.

“I have...no idea.” She replied slowly, still on edge.  _ Am I going crazy? _ she thought to herself absently. 

Ahsoka moved around the room, and sure enough, there was no one there, simply the small, forlorn beeping of the shuttle dash and the slightly echoed metallic clicking of her footsteps on the floor. 

Someone had definitely been in here, however. The survival items from their pack, like their canteens and food rations, had been tossed out and were now strewn about across the floor. Rex slowly bent down to look at the pack, and realized it had been ripped open violently. The few credits that had been stored in one of the pockets were now gone.

“Stole our credits.” Rex muttered to Ahsoka, who just sighed. “Inquisitors?” He questioned.

Ahsoka shook her head. “Why would they bother with our credits?” 

Rex just shrugged. “Maybe Vader doesn’t pay too well.” He chuckled.

Ahsoka simply continued looking around the room, before exiting the shuttle and looking around outside for any sign of where the thief had gone. She didn’t particularly need the credits back, but she had no idea what else they’d taken, or  _ why _ they had been there. Casting her gaze to the ground, she saw footprints leading up to the shuttle...but none leaving. Her heart stopped in her chest. Almost as if on cue, she heard a huge crash from inside the shuttle.

She turned on her heel and burst through the doors of the shuttle, and found the intruder had Rex locked in his grasp, his arm held tightly around his neck. She saw Rex pulling at the man’s arms, obviously being choked. She saw the dim outline of a blaster pointed towards her in front of Rex.

“Let him go!” Ahsoka shouted, bringing her saber down in front of her. As she swung it forward however, the light from the blade illuminated the room, and she was able to make out the figure’s features. His  _ familiar _ features.

“Hondo?!” She yelled incredulously, almost annoyed rather than fearful at the sight of him. In response, she only heard his ever distinct, loud laugh. 

Using the distraction, Rex immediately shifted his position, bringing his elbow down forcefully onto Hondo’s chest, abruptly knocking the wind out of him. Hondo stumbled back with a wheeze, and Rex quickly lifted his foot to kick him hard in the chest, sending him flying back into the ship’s dash, his body landing with a crash. Rex rushed towards Ahsoka while catching his breath, before turning around and quickly pulling his blasters on the man before them.

“Hey, hey, hey! Relax! You’re among  _ friends!  _ I should say, friend!” Hondo laughed painfully, clutching his chest before animatedly throwing his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender. 

“Give me one good reason!” Rex shouted, his fingers twitching on the triggers.

Hondo just rolled his eyes. “I went toe to toe with  _ Kenobi! _ You think I can’t take a clone?” He laughed. 

Hondo continued. “Eh, though I probably can’t, I am getting old. Not unlike you two, I see!” He spoke in a sly tone, pointing his fingers between them. “I didn’t know there were any of  _ either _ of your kind still left in the galaxy!” 

Rex had dimly remembered Ahsoka and Anakin telling him  _ all _ about this guy’s antics, years ago. 

He muttered quietly to Ahsoka, not turning his gaze from Hondo.  _ “Chaavla _ got the drop on me- he was hiding on the  _ roof.” _

Ahsoka rolled her eyes at hearing about the pirate’s actions, her saber still trained on him. “Hondo, what the hell are you doing here?” Ahsoka yelled, interrupting Hondo’s customary rambling.

“You know, this and that! What are  _ you _ doing here?” Hondo spoke, entirely too nonchalantly. 

“This is our damn ship!” Rex replied.

“Oh-ho-ho, my apologies! If I would’ve known this was the ship of a friend, I would’ve robbed you both much less.” Hondo exclaimed. 

Rapidly growing tired of the pirate’s usual brand of nonsense, Rex pulled the triggers on his blasters, sending bolts to lodge in the walls around the dash on either side of Hondo, both of them smoking just beside his chest. 

Hondo jumped a mile, before dropping to his knees and shielding his head before looking up to realize he hadn’t actually been shot.“Now, now, let’s be  _ reasonable _ about this!” He chuckled, his voice trembling, waving his hands in front of him. 

“You’re a piece of pirate scum! You’re a criminal, and a traitor! Like my partner said, give us one good reason not to kill you!” Ahsoka exclaimed, swiftly bringing her lightsaber down, hovering the blade inches from his cheek.

“I...can’t even argue with any of that! But it still burns me to hear you say it, Miss Tano! I thought we were friends here!” Hondo spoke with a laugh. 

“What could  _ possibly _ make you think we’re friends?” Ahsoka replied coldly. “The last time I saw you, you kidnapped me and tried to  _ sell _ me!”

Rex looked over at her in shock, his blasters still trained on Hondo. Ahsoka glanced over at him, and shrugged with a nod. “Story for another time.” She muttered, before returning her attention to the pirate.

“Hey! I made sure he wasn’t going to kill you...at least, right away!  _ That’s _ what friends do!” Hondo retorted.

“Besides,” the pirate continued, “I  _ do _ think you're forgetting I rescued you and that sideshow collection of womp-rats you called Younglings, madam!” Hondo challenged. “You should be grateful!”

_ “Rescued _ us? You want me to  _ thank _ you for running away from the Separatists? Gratitude is the  _ last _ thing you deserve.” Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Now, how did you know we were here?”

“I thought Jedi weren’t  _ supposed _ to be so self centered! All this me, me, me! You’ve changed, you know!” Hondo rambled, gesturing wildly at her.

“Hondo. Last chance.  _ What are you doing here?”  _ She spoke, her voice raised dangerously. 

“My, we  _ are _ touchy today, aren’t we? Listen, I had no idea this was  _ your _ shuttle. Had I known you would treat me like this, I probably would have just stolen it!” Hondo laughed. “Now, I have no clue what you are going on about, but feel free to explain!”

Ahsoka gave an annoyed sigh, before intentionally jerking her lightsaber away from his face, her sudden movement causing him to jump. She raised a brow marking at Rex and inclined her head at him, gesturing for him to lower his blasters. He reluctantly did so, shoving them back into his holsters.

“Now, isn’t  _ this _ better, Miss Tano? Not so much of your usual brand of...anger, and hostility.” The pirate laughed.

“Talk.” Rex said simply.

“I’m on the run, and I needed the supplies. I’ll give...most of them back. But you’ve got to let me go.” Hondo spoke.

“Why am I not surprised to hear that you and your merry band of criminals are running away from something?” Ahsoka laughed bitterly.

Hondo’s face fell unexpectedly. “My crew, my men, are gone. They left, or were taken by the Empire, long ago. It’s...just me, now.” He spoke, his normally unbalanced, wild tone turning solemn.

Ahsoka’s expression softened. Whatever the  _ stark _ differences between herself and the pirate in front of her, she found herself feeling bad for him. It seemed  _ no one _ was safe from the Empire. She could bond over that fact with nearly anyone, these days.

“Later, I met up with a new syndicate. I thought I was in the clear, until the Empire boarded one of our ships. My partners and I were arrested, and I had to hijack one of the pods on the Imperial ship to escape. The men ended up being killed by the Imperials, later.”

Ahsoka sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that, Hondo.” She spoke, reluctant to show him compassion but unable to stop herself from doing so, by her nature.

“Cost of doing business in times like these, I suppose. Besides, we weren’t that close. They had a bit too much morality for my liking.”

“Naturally.” Rex spoke, contempt filtering through his voice. “I can only  _ imagine _ what you all were doing when the Imperials caught you.”

“Don’t be so quick to assume, my friend.” Hondo said quietly, wagging his finger back and forth. “My partners and I were assisting in the escape of a group of Mandalorian families from Concord Dawn. I assume you’ve heard of it. It’s a lovely place. The Empire did a great job decorating over there.” He continued sarcastically, a hint of sadness flashing through his eyes.

Ahsoka nodded slowly at him. The distinct, haunting image of the devastated area came to her mind immediately. The Empire had blown the Mandalorian moon halfway into space during the tragic violence of the atrocity the Mandalorian people now called, ‘The Night of a Thousand Tears’.

“And! I’ll also have you know, they weren’t even paying us.” The pirate finished. 

Rex immediately regretted his previous comment, his derisive gaze softening immediately. “And the Mandalorians you helped escape?” He asked.

Hondo shook his head sadly, and gestured a line across his throat. “Only the Imperial Protectors, remain now.”

Ahsoka exhaled, her breath coming out ragged. 

Suddenly, she was drawn from her miserable thoughts as the dash beeped seemed to spring awake, the radar screen flashing frantically. Cocking her head curiously, she strode over and glanced down at the chart, Rex and Hondo following closely, coming to stand behind her and look over her shoulder. Her stomach dropped through to the floor as she saw a small blinking icon, making its way extremely fast across the dash. 

Way too fast.

“We’ve got incoming!” Ahsoka exclaimed, quickly jumping into the pilot’s seat and firing up the engine. She heard Rex’s heavy footsteps leave the shuttle, and then heard the sound of him swiftly throwing the meager supplies they’d gathered into the cockpit through the open bay door before stepping inside again.

“My lady, I know that we are not exactly the _ best  _ of friends.” Hondo spoke frantically, a scared smile on his face as he leaned over where Ahsoka sat in the pilot’s seat. “But I do hope that you will take pity on me, and perhaps you would be gracious enough to consider not leaving me here to die.” He rambled, his distinct voice trembling ever so slightly. 

Ahsoka continued to hastily flick on switches on the dash to prime the engine, before hearing it roar to life. She let out a relieved sigh. Rex quickly entered the cockpit and took his seat in the copilot’s chair, swiftly beginning to bring his side of the dash online, but not before pressing the button to close the bay doors of the shuttle.

Hondo piped up again. “You know, I just think we’ve all gotten very close as people now, we’ve had a chance to bond! Even though you threatened to kill me just a little bit, I do really think we’ve turned a corner, and-”

“Hondo, shut up!” Ahsoka yelled, still preoccupied with the dash controls. “We’re obviously not going to leave you here. So, shut up.”

“Ah! Thank you, my dear.” Hondo spoke graciously, giving her a half bow before he was sent flying toward the back of the ship, hitting the metal wall with a loud thud as the shuttle abruptly lurched off the ground and shot up towards the sky.

“I’m okay!” The pirate called out, laughing as he did so.

“Rex, get us to position 4.5, I’m going to try to go around and get in behind them, maybe we can throw them off!” Ahsoka spoke firmly.

“Sir yes sir.” Rex replied, quirking a slight smile as he quickly maneuvered the shuttle to the desired trajectory before pulling back the drive shaft to boost the thrusters enough to get them there.

“Just like old times, still, right Rex?” Ahsoka called out above the engine noise, laughing slightly. “We’re in the usual mess!”

“Oh, you know it!” Rex called back as the shuttle shot up towards the sky. Looking out the windshield, Ahsoka saw the ship that had been detected on their radar had turned out to be an Imperial TIE. Swiftly jerking the steering mechanism around, she sent the Phantom flying in the other direction. Dimly, she could hear Hondo slide across the floor and slam into the wall behind her, as he had nothing to hold on to.

She smiled ever so slightly at this.

Ahsoka was not at all surprised to hear the scream of the TIE engine as it gave chase before beginning to fire at them relentlessly. She expected nothing less. 

Quickly picking up speed, she guided them up towards open space, the orange light of the atmosphere burning hot against the windshield of the shuttle. The second they reached open space, she inhaled sharply before jerking the hyperspace lever towards her.

“Rex, now!” She called out, and he swiftly did the same, pulling the hyperdrive shaft on his side and forcing them both back into their seats as the engine nearly overloaded, the shuttle shifting to a nearly vertical position as it rocketed up through the remainder of the sky before disappearing into hyperspace. 

The shuttle rapidly stabilized in hyperspace, and Ahsoka lurched forward from the force of the sudden shift. Swiftly collecting herself, she looked down at the radar interface, and saw that the TIE had all but disappeared. After seeing this, she glanced over at Rex, who simply gave her a weak salute as he caught her eye. She let out a rueful laugh at this.

Suddenly, Ahsoka became aware of Hondo peeling himself up from the floor with a dramatic groan, before coming to stand behind her and Rex in the cockpit. They both turned in their chairs to face him, and she saw that he was rubbing the side of his hat ruefully.

“I have to say, I thought the Jedi and the clones were supposed to be better pilots than whatever that disaster was. My Kowakian could’ve done better than you two.” He spoke wryly.

“You’re welcome.” Rex said derisively, smirking infuriatingly at the pirate.

Ahsoka chuckled at this. “As much fun as this has been, Hondo,” She spoke sarcastically, “...I’m afraid we can’t take you with us.” She finished.

“Ha! What in the galaxy makes you think I would come?” Hondo responded.

“Right.” Ahsoka smirked.

“Where can we drop you?” Rex spoke up, feeling a small, but growing respect for the pirate after hearing of his rescue attempt.

“I think...uh, Jedha is close!” Hondo replied.

Ahsoka thought for a moment, but quickly remembered that the Partisan Rebellion had recently brought down the Imperial blockade of Jedha, meaning it was safe airspace for their shuttle. For now, at least.

“Jedha it is.” Ahsoka responded easily, turning her attention back to the dash and inputting the coordinates for the capital city of the planet from memory.

They flew through hyperspace for about twenty minutes, talking about nothing in particular. Well, then again, Hondo seemed to be doing most of the talking. True to his word, however, they quickly reached the capital city of NiJedha. Rex had commed ahead to the now Partisan controlled airspace, and Ahsoka guided the shuttle down slowly, coming to land next to an old cathedral at the top of a lookout hill.

“This is your stop.” Ahsoka called out, standing quickly to her feet and ushering Hondo to the bay door. Rex stayed behind in the copilot’s seat, leaning over the flick the switch to leave the engine running. As Ahsoka and Hondo reached the metal door, she pressed the button to open it, and the both of them stepped outside into the bright sunlight of the planet. 

“All my thanks, my lady. I can’t say it’s been pleasant, but...best wishes for your travels.” Hondo said graciously.

“Oh, don’t worry, Hondo, I’m sure you’ll continue to inflict your awful presence on my life, somehow.” Ahsoka spoke wearily.

“Ha! That is...probably true.” He laughed, before tipping his worn hat to her. 

“You know, Hondo, I suppose if the Republic couldn’t seem to get rid of you, the Empire will never be able to.” Ahsoka chuckled. 

“Ah! Well there, you’re finally right about something! There  _ is _ a first time for everything, I suppose.” Hondo responded.

Ahsoka sighed, rolling her eyes good naturedly. Though, her expression quickly became neutral again, and she spoke up softly.

“May the Force be with you.” Almost reluctantly, she gave him a brief smile, nodding once towards him.

In stark contrast to her tone, Hondo just cackled. “Oh, save all that ridiculous sorcery for someone who needs it. I’ll be just fine, madam.” He chuckled, tipping his hat towards her once more before turning away and following the worn dirt path down to the city. 

She watched Hondo walk away for a moment, but he quickly turned his gaze back to her. She raised her brow markings at him curiously, and he spoke again in an earnest tone.

“May the Force be with you as well, Miss Tano.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note: Hondo is probably one of my favorite characters ever, so I just had to put him in this story. Sorry, I couldn’t resist! All that aside, if you would be so kind as to leave a comment, please let me know what you thought of this chapter! :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! I am very sorry for the late update! It’s midterms week for me, and I’ve been busy, to say the least! I guess, then again, George Lucas waited 17 years to give us the prequels, so maybe a couple days isn’t so bad. 
> 
> Also, fair warning, this chapter is long. Like, really long. I couldn’t really find a solid place to split between chapters, so I just posted it all. Either I’m sorry, or you’re welcome, whichever you prefer. 
> 
> Anywho, please enjoy this latest chapter, and my most enormous thanks to everyone continuing to read, comment, and leave kudos! Y’all are my favorite!
> 
> Just a quick side note: I’m including this little translation section for the Mando’a phrases that Rex uses in this chapter.   
> dini’la - insane  
> adate/anade - everybody  
> sushir - listen  
> eyaytir - escape  
> jii - now  
> ko’lar - come here
> 
> Last heads up: Take note of the M rating.

Ahsoka gazed out into the distance, her eyes settling on the seemingly endless bright horizon of NiJedha. The jagged landscape of the desert mesas stood stark against the skyline, seeming to reach up toward the space above. The vast expanse of churches, cathedrals, and markets, all painted in a stunningly bright white, seemed to sparkle across the landscape as she slowly cast her gaze over them. 

A gentle breeze was blowing, carrying the hints of exotic spices and the scent of natural salts as it wafted past her. Off in the distance, as if in a dream, she could hear the chatter and the traffic of the large afternoon market, and the intermittent sounds of children laughing and screaming at the base of the mesa. The air around her appeared to shine in the bright blue sky, carrying the rays of the sunlight with it and casting the whole city in brilliant light. Living in the shadow of the Empire, all she had been used to seeing was chaos, destruction, death. 

In contrast, the holy city of NiJedha seemed to stand as a beacon of peaceful opposition to the darkness of the Empire. She was all too familiar with the moon’s shattered history during its Imperial rule, if only because she had seen what the Empire had done to other planets just like Jedha. However, never had she seen an entire people escape from Imperial clutches like the people of this city.

Holding its head high, NiJedha seemed now to only exist in defiance of evil that had overshadowed the light of the galaxy. 

She watched as the small dots of people in the faraway market drifted around, seeming to wander aimlessly,  _ freely _ across the land. She smiled.

It was the people of NiJedha that were a testament to its strength. 

The people were the light.

Off in the distance of the city’s skyline, she could see the crumbling marble statue of a Jedi, very nearly destroyed by Imperial occupation. Portions of the warrior’s face had been destroyed, along with one of its arms. The end of its absent arm seemed to stop so abruptly, it was almost as if her view of it hadn’t rendered completely. However, in its other, still-intact, marble hand, it held a long saber. The sword seemed to glow an ethereal white in the sunlight, and the statue of the Jedi seemed to stand guard over the city, nearly shattered but still standing tall. 

As she continued to stare at it, transfixed, she came to feel that just  _ existing _ in a place like this gave her hope for the rest of the galaxy. She took a deep breath, the fresh, clean air filling her lungs completely, and continued looking out across the horizon. One day, she could sit down. She could imagine herself retiring, and gazing over a planet just like this one, a free planet, in a free galaxy, and she could rest. 

That, or she was willing to die so that the dream could live on through others.

She cast her gaze again to the seemingly everlasting statue of the Jedi. Smiling, she thought to herself. 

_ There will always be others. _

The wind blew again, more forcefully, and she felt the tips of montrals seem to follow it. Dimly, she heard the roar of the Phantom’s engine sputter before ceasing completely. Not five seconds later, she heard the familiar sound of Rex’s boots, clattering against the extended metal ramp.

She heard him clear his throat. “Are you okay, ‘Soka?” He questioned, his well-loved nickname for her rolling off his tongue as he came up to stand behind her, his hand placed gently on her shoulder. 

Ahsoka gave one last longing glance at the horizon before turning to face him, and she smiled, her eyes crinkling as they looked deep into his in a similarly longing gaze.

_ There will always be others, _ she thought to herself again.

She was never alone. The  _ galaxy _ was never alone. The dream was alive as long as the people were.

“I love you, Rex.” She spoke softly, looking deep into his eyes.

Rex seemed slightly taken aback, but laughed quietly, running a hand over his head. “Well...thanks. I, love you too.” He chuckled. “Everything...okay?” He continued, looking over at her with an amused smirk.

“Here, it is.” She replied easily.

She felt his hand gently slip from her shoulder, only to grasp her upper arm and pull her close to him, tucking her body against his as he leaned his head against hers.

“It  _ is _ nice, isn’t it?” He spoke absently, slowly trailing his fingers up and down her arm, his gaze focused on the horizon.

“Yeah.” She breathed with a smile. Slowly though, her smile began to fade. The longer she looked out at the bright sky of NiJedha, the darker it seemed to become, the energy around it shifting ever so slightly. “But…”

Rex released her arm and lifted his head from hers, before turning to face her. “But what?” He pushed gently. 

“I just...can’t help but feel like, something is...off, here.” She spoke hesitantly, almost not believing herself. After all, everything had been fine before. Perfect, even. Maybe she was so used to there being danger around every corner, that she was beginning to find it where it didn’t exist.

Rex shot her a puzzled look, before shrugging easily. “Well, I mean, they  _ just _ chased off the Imps. It’s probably going to be like that for awhile.”

Almost as if on cue, the sky seemed to darken as a misty cloud eclipsed the two suns.

Ahsoka wanted to dwell on the fact that the people were free, and happy. However, deep down, she knew the Empire would never just let the people  _ keep _ the planet. She desperately longed to be able to think that the Partisans were enough of a fighting force for the Imperials to stay away forever, but...

She sighed, and was surprised to feel the breath catch in her throat ever so slightly.

“It’s okay though, right?” Rex questioned, seeming to sense her sudden tonal shift. “You don’t...feel any like, Force predictions, coming on?”

Ahsoka laughed at this reluctantly before shaking her head, as if to clear out the unwanted thoughts. 

“That’s not  _ quite _ how it works, but no, I’m not.” She chuckled. “Everything’s fine.”

Rex nodded with a smile. Clearing his throat, he spoke again. “Hera and the rest of them are probably wondering what happened to us. Should we get out of here? ” He asked, gesturing with his thumb back toward the shuttle.

“Oh gods. Hera.” Ahsoka laughed. “Yeah, she probably  _ is _ wondering about us.” 

With that, she pulled her comm from the pack slung over her shoulder. Now that Rex was back with her, she noticed she’d subconsciously begun storing the comm in her pack instead of on her hip. After all, he was really the only one she’d wanted to hear from in the last years, and now that he was here with her again, she felt like she didn’t need to be  _ quite _ so on-top of her messages.

She deftly tapped her fingers over the buttons on the screen to contact Hera, but not before silently thanking the gods that Hondo hadn’t stolen her comm when he was with them in the shuttle.

Ahsoka was slightly surprised to see that she had no previous messages, however. While the trail of the Sith Lord had all but gone stale, she would usually have at least a  _ few _ messages built up from Cassian or Hera, about random Alliance business.

Just as she went to hail the Ghost, an incoming request filled the screen of her comm.

She quickly reached into her pack for her shawl, and before beginning to frantically dig around for it as she didn’t immediately feel it. After all, she still had to protect her identity on her Fulcrum comm. Rex tapped her on the shoulder, and she quickly glanced over at him, and realized he had already grabbed the shawl from her pack, and was holding it out to her. 

Snatching it away with a smirk, she quickly threw it on and answered the request. Senator Organa’s face filled the screen quickly, and he began without preamble, as per usual.

“Fulcrum. What is your location?” Bail spoke firmly.

“NiJedha City, Jedha.” She replied quickly.

She heard Bail sigh in relief. “What are the chances?” He spoke. “I need you to make contact with our allies there.”

Ahsoka was slightly taken aback. “The Partisans?” 

Bail nodded. “We need to discuss their plans for keeping the city safe from future Imperial threats. But to do that, we need you to make contact.” He continued.

“Senator, I thought we had already established a network with them.” She responded.

Bail cleared his throat. “We had. But, it's been my understanding that there's been a bit of a shake-up in their leadership.”

“Saw Gerrera?” She questioned. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rex perk up beside her.

“...is still in charge.” Bail replied. “However, there’s a new leading Partisan. His number two, Benthic. And we haven’t been able to reach  _ either _ of them.” He continued.

“Understood, Senator. Last known coordinates?” She spoke quickly.

Bail shook his head. “Sorry. But, you’ll find them.”

“How?” She asked, nonplussed.

Bail just smirked at her. “You always do.” With that, the call disconnected.

She slid the shawl off her head and wrapped it around her shoulders with a huff, before turning to Rex.

“Did I hear right? Did you say Saw Gerrera is the leader of the Partisans?” Rex asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

Ahsoka nodded. “Him and this  _ Benthic, _ I guess, but yeah.” She spoke, still distracted with her shawl, trying to get it to sit the way she wanted.

“Ha!” Rex laughed. “I  _ knew _ that guy had it in him. Leave it to Saw to free an entire planet. How did I not guess?” He chuckled, looking out towards the city.

Ahsoka cast him a worried gaze before giving up on her shawl and letting the fabric collect around her shoulders messily. 

“I don’t know, Rex.” She spoke guardedly.

Rex’s smile faded. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just…” She trailed off, not knowing whether to continue or not. “The Partisans aren’t exactly-” 

Ahsoka was interrupted by a small, rapid beeping sound as another comm request came through, this time through her audio-only, protected frequency wrist comm. 

“Hera.” She spoke to Rex, sensing his curious gaze.

She clicked the button to answer the request, and she heard Hera’s crackled voice come over the other end.

“Ahsoka. You copy?”

“I copy, Spectre 2.” Ahsoka replied easily.

“Oh, thank gods. Where have you guys _ been?” _ Hera nearly yelled, in her distinctly chiding tone. 

Ahsoka laughed at this. “Well...long story. But right now, Rex and I are in Jedha, just out of NiJedha City. I'm going to collect some new intel, but then we’ll be heading back to the Ghost. Don’t worry, you’ll get the Phantom back.” She chuckled.

“I don’t  _ want _ the Phantom back, I  _ want _ you two back. It’s driving me crazy knowing you guys are out there  _ alone.” _ Hera spoke, her tone slightly sharp.

“Hera,” Ahsoka laughed, “...Rex and I can more than fend for ourselves. Cut us a little slack, huh? We’ll be back in…” Ahsoka thought for a moment. “In less than two hours. Or, we’ll update you if anything changes.” 

Ahsoka could practically  _ feel _ Hera rolling her eyes before she heard her speak again. “Oh, sure you will, because you’re so good at that.”

Ahsoka laughed. “I promise.”

“Fine.” Hera responded firmly, before chuckling slightly, her tone softening. “We’ll see you two then. Over and out.”

Ahsoka sighed before returning her comm to her pack and slinging it back over her shoulder. 

“Well, what’s next?” Rex spoke up.

Ahsoka smiled back at him before gesturing out towards the market. “I  _ guess _ I find the Partisans.”

_ “Just  _ you?” Rex asked with a smirk.

“Rex...these guys are…” She trailed off. “I just don’t know if I should bring you with me, it could be dangerous. You could take the Phantom, and then-”

“Ahsoka.” Rex spoke, his tone chiding. “Come on.”

Knowing better than to argue with him any longer on this particular issue, she simply laughed ruefully. “Fine, fine.”

Rex nodded with a smile, and they both began to walk in lockstep down the small dirt path that was crudely etched into the side of the mesa they’d landed on. Ahsoka coughed gently as the red dirt plumed up from their footsteps, obscuring them both in a fine cloud of dust. As they made their way down the side of the hill, Ahsoka blinked away the dirt from her eyes and the city’s market came into her view.

There were countless stalls manned by every species imaginable, selling clothes, salt, toys, and everything else imaginable. At the end, she even saw a vendor openly selling what she could only assume were death sticks.

That meant the Empire  _ definitely _ wasn’t here.

Ahsoka took a couple steps forward to walk slightly in front of Rex, looking around aimlessly at the various stalls for the  _ beginning _ of a clue as to the Partisans’ whereabouts.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a little old Rhodian woman perched on top of a tall chair, absently weaving a blanket with some kind of plant material, the fabric dyed a brilliant blue. In fact, the cloth was so bright that it caught her attention from yards away.

Without even thinking, Ahsoka stepped closer into her stall and took in all the woman’s creations with muted awe. She’d woven blankets, pillows, small string toys, shirts, and shawls. Seemingly everything that could be created with plant yarn, had been by this woman. 

Rex walked up quietly behind her as she turned to look at some of the beautiful shawls, before one caught her eye. It was craftily sewn together, the red and gold yarns interlaced to create an understated yet intricate design across its length. At first, she hadn’t seen the gold coloring, but as she reached out to touch it, the sunlight caught the fabrics in just the right way, and it began to glint subtly. As she ran her hands over it, she wouldn’t have guessed that desert plants could have created a material that soft.

“It’s pretty.” Rex spoke absently, reaching out to touch it as well. 

“No doubt.” Ahsoka replied. Dimly, she became aware of the tattered old black shawl around her shoulders, and sighed at it with a small laugh. With that, she turned to face the Rhodian woman.

“Excuse me?” Ahsoka called out to her, bringing her attention away from her work.

“You like that one, miss? Is pretty, like you.” The woman replied.

Ahsoka blushed faintly. “Oh, it’s beautiful, ma’am. However, we’re not here to buy. We were wondering if you know anything about the Partisans.”

“Yes, of course.” The old woman replied in a gravelly tone. “They...saved our planet. We are forever grateful.” She spoke in a hesitant voice, seemingly at odds with her praise.

Ahsoka nodded tentatively, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by Rex. “Do you happen to know where I could talk to them?”

“Well…” The woman spoke slowly. “I don’t, they are...in hiding. But my friend, just across the way, has a brother who is a member. Maybe, you talk to her. But I didn’t send you.” She finished, gesturing weakly to the stall across from them, manned by a young Twi’lek girl.

Ahsoka looked across to the other vendor, before turning back to the Rhodian woman and smiling. “Thank you very much, ma’am.”

The woman just nodded curtly, quickly returning to her work as she waved them off gently. “Safe travels.”

Ahsoka looked both ways across the street, trying to find an opportunity to cross the street amongst the huge amount of foot and speeder traffic that filled the market walkways. 

Suddenly, Rex spoke up from next to her. “You don’t want it?”

She turned to look in his direction, but her gaze was focused on the street, as she was now leaning out to try to see where she could cross.

“Want what?” She replied absently with a smile.

“The shawl.” He spoke simply, as if it were obvious.

“I can’t afford it. Most of my credits I pooled with Hera’s crew, so they were in the pack that Hondo stole from.” She responded, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. After all, there hadn’t been all that much  _ there _ to begin with. She figured Hondo wouldn’t be getting very far with what he’d got, which was why she had just let him take them. She wasn’t about to pick a fight over two credits.

“I have credits.” Rex replied quietly.

Ahsoka just laughed, stepping forward as she finally found a break in the traffic. “That’s sweet of you, Rex, but it’s okay. You should save them. Besides, you never know when you’ll need them.” She spoke out above the street noise over her shoulder, assuming he was following her. Though, as she reached the entrance to the stall across the road, she abruptly realized he wasn’t behind her. However, it didn’t take her long to spot him.

With a smile, Ahsoka simply watched as he made his way over to the Rhodian shopkeeper before handing her  _ more _ than a few of his credits. In response, the woman smiled and began to wrap up the shawl in a thin layer of paper, before handing it over to him with a gracious nod. Ahsoka’s smile grew even wider as he walked back over to where she was waiting in the other booth, before gently tearing the paper off and shoving it in his pocket. 

Choosing not to acknowledge the brilliant smile that was spread across her face, Rex simply cast his gaze to the shawl, unfolding it gently before he placed it around her body.

“Don’t say a word.” He chuckled as he adjusted it around her shoulders before letting the fabric fall naturally.

In response, Ahsoka leaned in to kiss him quickly before pulling away, noticing the faint hint of a blush playing across his cheeks.

“You got it.” She laughed lightly, before turning to the young Twi’lek shopkeeper as she emerged from the back of the small store.

“Hello, friends!” The girl called out as she approached the both of them. As Ahsoka turned to face her, she realized she couldn’t be more than fourteen years old.

“Hi there.” Ahsoka replied. “We’re looking for where we can find the Partisans.” She spoke carefully. “Do you know who they are?”

Upon hearing this, the girl’s smile faded and she eyed them suspiciously.

“Why do you want to know?”

“We’re a part of the Alliance.” Ahsoka spoke quickly, anxious to reassure the young girl. “We’re friends, see?” Leaning down to face her, Ahsoka pulled up the edge of her shawl to reveal a small tattoo of the Rebellion symbol on the lower side of her forearm, barely visible.

Upon seeing it, the girl seemed to relax. 

Rex himself was slightly taken aback by the tattoo.  _ How did I not notice that before? _ He thought in the back of his mind.

“We heard you might be able to help.” Ahsoka spoke gently.

“I can tell you.” The girl responded easily. More than pleasantly surprised by the girl’s willingness to help, Ahsoka smiled down at her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

Suddenly, the girl’s cheery tone disappeared, and she spoke up firmly. “For a price.” Her young, kind appearance and demeanor had apparently been disguising a very shrewd nature.

Ahsoka sighed.  _ I guess I don’t know what I expected, _ she thought to herself.

As she looked over at Rex, her eyes caught the shawl around her shoulders, and she subconsciously drew it closer to herself. “Well, we don’t have any credits left  _ now, _ do we?” She joked with an infuriating smirk, slightly tempered by the love in her eyes.

Rex just rolled his eyes, laughing slightly. “I  _ have _ more.” He spoke, digging into his pocket as he stepped up to the young girl. He held out a good amount of credits in his hand, shaking them once out in front of the girl, so she accurately count how many there were. He watched as her eyes tracked over his hand, before looking up at him with her brow raised.

“That’s it?” The girl spoke sharply. 

_ I’m getting scammed by a kid, _ Rex thought to himself with a laugh. Before he could reply, though, he heard Ahsoka speak up from beside him.

“Yep, that’s it.” She spoke firmly.

The girl simply snatched them from his hand, turning her back to them to inspect them closely before peering over her shoulder at them suspiciously. 

“Catacombs. Towards the edge of town.” The girl said quietly, before turning from them completely and wandering back behind her shop. 

Rex was surprised to hear Ahsoka let out a slightly ragged sigh. “Well then.” She spoke quietly, as if surprised they got an answer, before turning back towards the street. “I guess we’ll head there.” 

Rex nodded, and followed her out of the store quietly. Dimly, he realized that the traffic of the market streets around them was beginning to gradually disappear, the shops beginning to close as the faintest hints of sunset began to filter into the bright sky. It was the beginning of what would surely be a beautiful night, in his mind.

However, he began to notice as Ahsoka’s previously sunny mood slowly started to darken, and she fell silent as they walked down the street. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that she didn’t  _ want _ to find the Partisans. But, they were on her side.  _ Their _ side. What sense did that make?

“Did she say Catacombs?” Rex asked, breaking the silence after a few minutes had passed. 

Ahsoka nodded slowly, but kept her eyes focused intently on the street ahead of them.

After she didn’t say anything, he spoke again. “If the Partisans won, why would they need to hide  _ here? _ I get that they want to stay out of the Empire’s view everywhere else, but aren’t they the provisional government now, in this city?”

Rex was surprised to see her turn to look at him warily, before sighing. He went quiet, waiting for her to speak, but she never did. She simply looked away after a few moments and kept continuing along their path.

They wandered almost wordlessly for about twenty minutes, before finally finding their destination at the opposite east end of the city, about a mile away from the nearest reaches of the market square. As they approached the Catacombs, Rex could see small lookout holes dotting the side of the mesa that rose above the crumbling cave entrance. As he looked closer, he realized that each lookout had someone stationed behind it, and he slowly became aware of more than twenty pairs of eyes trained on him and Ahsoka. Subconsciously, he began to reach his hand tentatively towards his holster.

Ahsoka seemed to notice this, as she snapped to attention and whirled towards him quickly.

“Rex, don’t do that.” She whispered harshly. He slowly took his hand away from his side, but didn’t quite understand her anxiety until he looked up and saw various types of blasters and rifles, now pointed at them from all directions from behind the lookout holes.

“I’ve heard these guys are...touchy.” She spoke quietly under her breath. Rex nodded slowly in understanding, and they continued on silently until they reached what looked to be the front door to the compound. Ahsoka reached up towards the rusted metal ring that was shoddily nailed into the rough, wooden door, intending to knock, but she was quickly obliged to step back as the door slid open loudly.

Two armed men stepped out roughly, coming to stand in front of them, their weapons trained right at their chests. Rex and Ahsoka fell back in unison, before they saw a third man come up to stand behind the two others. Ahsoka trained her eyes on him, her posture standing tall even though she wanted to take another step back. 

He appeared to be a middle aged Tognath, his tan, dry skin seemingly stretched out behind his face. Looking him over further, she could see a massive blaster rifle slung across his back. As he drew closer, she could hear the rattling whirr of the metallic breathing mechanism that covered the majority of his lower face like a mask, its two tubes running down the length of his upper body.

“What are you doing here?” The man spoke in a rough, mechanical voice, his large, black eyes squinting at the two of them.

“We’re with the Alliance.” Ahsoka responded firmly, her strong tone betraying none of her previous apprehension. “We’re here on orders from-”

“I  _ know _ who  _ you _ are.” The man replied derisively, taking a large step towards her, looking her straight in the eyes as he now stood inches from her face. Ahsoka didn’t flinch, and she simply stared back at him just as intensely, standing her ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rex’s body stiffen, his fists clenching until his olive knuckles turned white as the Tognath stepped even closer.

Rex found himself about to move towards Ahsoka and, not so kindly, tell the man to  _ step back. _ That, or he would force him to. Suddenly though, he felt a rippling sensation of calm wash over him. His senses seemed to heighten, so much so that he could even hear the breathing of the men behind the lookout holes. His skin began to tingle, and he realized he could feel the seemingly calming energy radiating from Ahsoka.

_ Is...she doing this? _ He thought to himself, more than slightly bewildered at the entirely new sensation.

He still wanted to move closer, to protect her. Though, he quickly realized she obviously didn’t need him to. So instead, he let himself be reassured by her energy, and elected just to watch the proceedings. Albeit,  _ very _ carefully.

Dimly, he could feel Ahsoka’s decidedly apprehensive tone surrounding the Partisans begin to make sense in his mind. But it seemed  _ neither _ of them were prepared for what happened next.

Ahsoka continued to stare at the Tognath before her, her eyes searching across his relentlessly, refusing to be intimidated. 

“I’m looking for Saw Gerrera. I’ll also speak to Benthic.” She demanded, her tone cold. To her surprise, the man took a step back from her, and his posture seemed to relax. Feeling a sliver of hope ignite inside her, she spoke again.

“I’m looking to-”

Before she could finish, the man interrupted her. 

“Grab them.” He spoke coldly, and Ahsoka was suddenly blinded as a woven sack was pulled over her head, and she was forcefully yanked back by one of the Partisans. To her side, she could hear Rex yelling as two Partisans grabbed him from behind.

“Let her go!” Rex shouted, and she could hear the scuffle of his combat boots on the dusty ground as he struggled against their captors.

Ahsoka blindly lifted her left foot, sending it back roughly in hopes of colliding with the Partisan’s shin, but he deftly dodged the attack and kicked the back of her knee with his metal boot, sending her falling on to the ground. She tried her best to stifle her cry as the Partisan behind her then brought his foot down harshly onto her back, but it was no use.

“Ahsoka!” She heard Rex call out, his voice cracking in terror.

She started to call back to him, but she then felt the Partisan then pick her up roughly behind her arms and shove her forward into what felt like the entrance of the Catacombs. She could hear Rex’s shouts echoing down what sounded like a hall, growing farther and farther away until she could no longer hear him. 

“Rex!” She screamed, the force of it ripping through her throat. 

She could feel the man behind her still pushing her, so she turned her head around under the bag to face him.

“Let him go, right now!” She yelled forcefully. In response, he only shoved her forward again, and she connected painfully with a cold, stone floor, the sound of her body hitting it echoing across the room. Moments later, she heard what sounded like a metal door slam shut before locking.

“Rex!” She called out again, but to no avail. She received only silence in return. She pulled her body painfully up from the ground, breathing heavily. Her newly freed hands immediately went to work, and she ripped off the bag on her head with a choke.

Her chest still heaving, she cast her gaze frantically around the small room she now found herself in. It was dim, the only light coming in the form of a faint amber glow from a small window that connected with the ceiling, metal bars covering the length of it. As she looked around, she found that the room seemed shoddily built. Dusty, misplaced stone bricks covering the length of it, and she could see a steady dripping of water coming down from a rusted metal pipe that stuck out through the ceiling.

Quickly gathering herself, she reached down towards her utility belt. However, she realized with a horrible sinking feeling that in the midst of the chaos, the Partisans had lifted her wrist comm, her pack...and her saber.

She racked her mind, frantically trying to think of anything she could use as a weapon. She reached out into the Force around her, trying desperately to gain a sense of focus as she cast her gaze around the room. Feeling her body calm ever so slightly, she began to think. Still breathing heavily, she immediately made her way over to the side of the small cell, and reached up toward the broken, dripping pipe in the ceiling. She reached up to curl her hands around it, the rust formations digging painfully into her skin, before lifting herself up by her arms, attempting to use her body weight to try to forcefully pull it out.

The force of her pull quickly sent her crashing down however, and she winced as her already pained back connected with the solid floor.

She got up again with a groan, swaying unsteadily for a short moment before jumping deftly back up towards the pipe. She had no idea how much time had gone by as she struggled with it, but she gradually became aware of a small clicking sound, and she turned sharply towards the source, only to see the Tognath enter the room before locking the door behind him.

She released the pipe and landed back on the floor firmly, before striding over to him and assuming her battle stance, holding her hands out in front of her.

“Sorry for the wait.” The man spoke up coldly.

“Don’t make me hurt you.” She replied, squinting at him derisively.

The man didn’t seem to react to this. Instead, he cleared his throat, the breathing mechanism on his face causing his voice to come out crackled.

“There will be no need for that. Ahsoka Tano, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh, is that so? We’ve never met.” She replied with a rueful smirk, still holding her hands out, ready for him to make one wrong move.

“While that is so, I know all about you.” He spoke, his voice emotionless.

“Where are Benthic and Saw? When they hear of what you’ve done-”

“What? What will happen?” The man challenged.

Ahsoka hesitated for the briefest of moments before she opened her mouth to speak again, but she was quickly interrupted.

“Ah, see? You know. You do.” He spoke, obviously laughing as he did so, but the crackling that came out of his mask sounded nothing like laughter to Ahsoka.

“Saw wouldn’t stand for this. I am part of the Alliance, and for you to treat me and my partner as  _ prisoners-” _

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I  _ know _ that you aren’t so sure. You know how we do things.” He replied.

Ahsoka found that she really couldn’t disagree. She  _ did _ know. But now, her only thoughts were about Rex. How she brought him into this. How she’d put him in danger... _ again. _

“Where’s my partner?” She demanded, her voice cold, desperate to not let this man feel her fear. Not fear for herself, but for Rex.

“My associates have him.” He replied simply.

“You need to let him go.”

“I don’t take my orders from you.” He shot back.

“I  _ do _ trust you’re smart enough not to hurt him.” Ahsoka spoke derisively.

“He’s safe. For now.”

“For now?” She said, squinting her eyes towards him.

“For now.” He responded. “Let’s talk, just you and I.”

“I won’t talk unless my partner is returned to me.”

The man let out a rough sigh. “Well then, we’re going to have an issue then, aren’t we?”

“It appears so.” Ahsoka spoke with a rueful smirk, stepping closer to him.

He simply stood his ground before her, before clearing his throat with a mechanic wheeze. Just when she thought he was going to speak again, he turned and left the room, unlocking the door before slamming it behind him. She heard the locking mechanism quickly click back into place, and the echo of his footsteps as they faded through the hall.

In the distance, she could hear what sounded like talking, the voices drifting through the bars of the small window, their disconnected words unintelligible. Just as she was about to climb up the wall to challenge them from the barred window, she heard the metal door slide open again, and three men including the Tognath stepped inside.

“You’re going to regret this.” She spoke with a shake of her head before coming over to face them, staring them down as she did so.

The Tognath ignored her. “How did you find us?”

“Like I said, I don’t talk until my partner is here, unharmed.” She spoke, anger filtering through her voice as she gestured towards her side.

“How did you find us?” The man repeated, his tone unchanging.

“We are your _ allies.  _ I was sent by Bail Organa under the authority of the Alliance to make contact with your group.” She spoke slowly, but forcefully.

“How did you find us?” He spoke, emphasizing each word.

“Someone in the market.” Ahsoka exclaimed exasperatedly. “Now-”

“Who?” He interrupted.

Ahsoka laughed disdainfully. “I’m  _ not _ telling you.”

“Isn't that convenient? We’ve never revealed our new base location to  _ anyone _ in the Rebellion, and only the Empire knew where we were on Jedha before we found this base. So you expect me to believe that someone in the  _ market _ told you where we were, and not, perhaps, an ISB officer who’s been tracking us since we liberated Jedha?” The man spoke, his voice low.

Ahsoka quickly ripped her shawl up her arm, tapping her finger on her sienna skin harshly, pointing to her faint, all but faded tattoo of the Alliance symbol. She watched as the Tognath bent down to examine it slowly, before bringing his gaze back up to her.

As his large, black eyes met hers, he spoke again. “How do we know you didn’t get that to trick us?”

“It’s old.” She said firmly, drawing out each syllable. “It’s  _ faded. _ I’ve been a part of this fight since I was young.” She continued. “Longer than  _ you,  _ I’m sure.” She added with a derisive smirk. “Besides, you  _ said _ you knew me. Ahsoka Tano.  _ Commander _ of the Rebellion forces.”

“It’s been our unfortunate experience to have dealt with many traitors and spies posing as Alliance members in our fight against the Empire.”

“Not me.” Ahsoka said sharply.

The Tognath looked her up and down suspiciously once more, seeming to contemplate her information for a few moments before his furrowed brow relaxed. Turning from her, the man nodded to one of his associates, who nodded back before quickly exiting the room. Ahsoka couldn’t help but notice he left the door ajar as she heard his footsteps echo down the hallway.

The Tognath cleared his throat. “I suppose it’s about time we met then. I’m Benthic.”

“You’re Benthic.” Ahsoka echoed, completely astounded. She had known that Saw Gerrera’s military record was tactically  _ and _ ethically questionable to say the least, but putting a man like this in charge of his base on Jedha? She couldn’t help but wonder if Saw hadn’t completely lost his mind.

Drawing her from her thoughts, she heard two pairs of footsteps coming down the hallway, and she saw Rex enter the room out of the corner of her eye. She sighed deeply in relief as she saw his unharmed face.

“Ahsoka.” He breathed, all but stumbling past Benthic and the other men towards her before gathering her in his arms and turning back around to face the Partisans, eyeing them suspiciously as his arms went around her.

“Gods, are you okay?” He spoke frantically, casting his gaze down to her face, gently lifting his hand to run over her cheekbone, seemingly scanning her for injuries.

“I’m fine.” Ahsoka replied firmly, her eyes still trained on the men before them. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m alright.” He assured quickly, looking back up towards Benthic.

“We haven’t been introduced.” Benthic spoke up, his eyes focused on Rex.

Rex glanced back down at Ahsoka, his arms still placed protectively around her, before lifting his eyes back to Benthic. “You can call me  _ Captain.”  _ He replied harshly.

“Good to meet you both.” Benthic replied, obviously failing or declining to notice Rex’s tone. “I must apologize for what was likely not an ideal introduction. We aren’t accustomed to outsiders, I’m afraid.”

Ahsoka just nodded, and she felt Rex release her as she did so. She couldn’t help questioning the fact that these were some of the same people that freed NiJedha. Even though the Partisans had just captured and detained them without cause, the  _ depth _ of the group’s paranoia was what really terrified her about them, and called into extreme question their capabilities for  _ keeping _ Jedha a free state.

Rex spoke up from behind her. “Does  _ Saw _ know you held us here? Does he know how  _ insane _ you-” He demanded angrily.

Ahsoka cut him off with a look. 

“I’m glad you both are here.” Benthic said in a quiet, mechanical monotone, ignoring Rex’s outburst. “Let me introduce you to the rest of my group. Please, follow me.” With that, he exited the room quickly, his two men following closely behind him.

Ahsoka reluctantly stepped out after them, but Rex grabbed her shoulder and gently pulled her back towards him. 

“Ahsoka. What the hell is going on here? What do we do?” Rex whispered.

“It’s okay, Rex. Believe me,” She spoke in a hurried, hushed tone. “...Bail will hear about this. But for now, I have my orders. Besides, I don’t think they’ll give us any more trouble.”

“How can you be sure?” Rex spoke harshly, his voice barely above a whisper. His mind was rushing with all the possibilities. The Partisans could be tricking them. They could be waiting to hurt Ahsoka, or even  _ kill _ her. And even though they’d just reunited recently, Rex knew that he would die before he’d let anything happen to her. But with the apparent militia waiting just outside the cell, he knew the odds were stacked against  _ either _ of them making it out alive, should the Partisans change their mind.

“Do you trust me, Rex?” Ahsoka spoke, drawing him from his frantic thoughts.

He looked taken aback, and he blinked at her a couple times before nodding slowly. “Always.” He replied earnestly.

“Good. We’ll be leaving here soon. I promise.” She spoke softly. “I...won’t let anything happen to you.” She finished, before lifting her hand to run softly over his face before stepping out of the cell, Rex following close behind her.

Ahsoka walked towards the sound of the Benthic’s echoing footsteps, and quickly found herself in what looked to be a small command center, complete with a holotable. Looking around the dimly lit area, she saw about twenty other Partisans, wandering aimlessly around the command center, large rifles nearly identical to Benthic’s slung across their backs. 

Upon entering, she watched as nearly all of them fell silent to stare at the two of them, before slowly returning to their business. Across the room lying on a small, rickety wooden table, she saw her saber, her comm, and Rex’s blasters laid out neatly, their packs leaning against the legs of it.

“Your things.” Benthic spoke, sensing the direction of her gaze before gesturing towards the small table.

Ahsoka and Rex rapidly crossed the room, and quickly equipped everything onto their respective belts before turning back to Benthic. Ahsoka couldn’t help but notice Rex’s hand laying firmly on his holster as they both began to walk towards the holotable where Benthic and some of the other Partisans stood.

Ahsoka cleared her throat before speaking. “As I said earlier, I have been sent to establish contact with your group on behalf of the Alliance. It appears we lost contact with you all, earlier.”

“You can never be too careful these days.” Benthic replied, flicking the holotable on, a dim hologram of an outline of NiJedha springing up from the table with a low hum. After he did so, he reached down and pulled out a small white drawer built into the side of the holotable, retrieving a small chip.

As Rex observed the proceedings, he abruptly realized the Partisans had cut off contact with the other Rebel cells  _ on purpose.  _ He inhaled deeply, hoping Benthic wouldn’t notice as the breath caught in his throat. He slowly reached out to grasp Ahsoka’s arm, ever so slightly, as if waiting for the Partisans to make one wrong move.

“Here.” Benthic spoke up, extending the chip towards Ahsoka. “Our base coordinates, and comm address. For, the Alliance.”

Ahsoka nodded, placing it securely into her pocket. “I’ll make sure the Senator gets this. Thank you, Benthic.” She spoke coldly. The Tognath just nodded graciously in response. 

Feeling absolutely no desire for the two of them to remain there any further, Ahsoka turned wordlessly and began to walk towards the front door, Rex following close on her heels.

Exiting the Catacombs, they walked away in silence for a few moments, the only sounds coming in the form of their boots scraping against the dirt and the shuffling of the Partisans that were patrolling the outside of the base. Dimly, Rex could hear the ambient noise disappear, and he turned around for the first time since they’d left, to see that the Catacombs had faded from view. He breathed a sigh of relief, and he heard Ahsoka release a breath as well before turning to him.

“That was...interesting.” Rex spoke, chuckling ruefully.

“To say the least.” Ahsoka replied, her normally spirited tone considerably subdued.

“Are you okay?” Rex asked quietly.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ahsoka responded with a wry smile. “Are you?”

Rex nodded slowly. “I just...can’t believe that really happened.”

Ahsoka chuckled slightly at this. “Me, neither. Although, I guess I don’t know what I expected from them.”

“I can’t believe Saw would work with someone like that. That Benthic was  _ dini’la.” _ Rex spoke derisively, keeping his pace beside Ahsoka. “We have to talk to Gerrera. We have to tell him what his men did. I wouldn’t put up with that insanity in my command, I know Saw wouldn’t either, and-”

“Rex.” Ahsoka cut him off gently.

“What?” He spoke, stopping to turn towards her.

“I think Saw knows, Rex.” Ahsoka said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“No way, he’s got a better head on his shoulders than that.” Rex said dismissively.

“I’m afraid...you don’t know Saw anymore, Rex.” Ahsoka sighed. “It’s even possible  _ he _ gave the order.”

“I don’t believe it.” Rex replied softly, almost as if trying to convince himself. After what they’d been through with the Partisans tonight, though, a part of him  _ did  _ believe it. Plus, he was never one to doubt Ahsoka. 

He focused his gaze back in front of them, and they continued to trek forward, and after about ten minutes, the city's market came back into view. Rex slowly came to realize that they had been with the Partisans longer than he’d previously thought, as the bright blue Jedha sky they had seen earlier was now painted in a blinding array of pinks, yellows, and oranges as the two suns set slowly over the small moon.

As they continued to walk through the street market, Ahsoka felt the foreboding, dark intuitions from earlier that day filter back into her mind, setting her on edge once again. Suddenly, the previously bright, bustling city they had seen that afternoon seemed empty, lifeless. And even though the light of the sunset was still bright in the sky, the entire city seemed shadowy, and almost unrecognizable.

She felt her skin begin to tingle ever so slightly. It almost felt like someone, or something, was watching the two of them. She looked towards Rex, who was fidgeting absently with one of his pocket knives. He obviously didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. Still looking warily around her, she suddenly heard the sharp scraping of footsteps. 

She whirled around to look behind her, unclipping her saber from her belt and igniting it swiftly in front of her, causing Rex to jump. However, he reacted rapidly, and she saw him pull both of his blasters and train them immediately on the focus of her gaze.

As she looked toward the direction of the noise, she just as quickly lowered her saber and retracted the blade with a sigh. Across the street in front of her stood a small Loth-cat, who had been rubbing up against one of the garbage crates in the street, causing it to move ever so slightly and make a scraping noise as it did so. As Ahsoka stared at it, the Loth-cat cocked its furry head at her, as if silently judging her for her overreaction.

Ahsoka absently expected to hear Rex make a teasing comment any second now, and she found she was already smiling as she waited to hear his inevitable joke. However, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Rex had since turned around and was now looking out towards the horizon. 

Just as she was about to turn and make a snarky comment to Rex about keeping his joke to himself, she saw the Loth-cat’s tiny body abruptly go rigid, before dropping itself to the ground as it crouched down, its little face frozen in terror. For a moment, she thought it was scared of her, and she absently tried to calm it through the Force. However, she felt an intense sense of dread creep over her as she realized the Loth-cat wasn’t looking at  _ her _ in fear. It was looking just above her.

She felt a strangling sensation crawl up her throat when she heard Rex speak, his voice filled with horror. 

“Ahsoka.” She heard him choke. The seconds seemed to tick by in frames. She heard Rex’s fearful tone. The scurrying of the Loth-cat down the alley. A few faraway, echoey voices talking cheerfully. Then,  _ screams. _

Whirling back around, her heart dropped through to her stomach as she saw the ominous outline of a massive Imperial Star Destroyer ripping through the skyline, the colors of the sunset tearing around it as it headed straight for the city. Then, she saw another. And another.  _ And another. _

Almost immediately the market square was overshadowed by the Imperial forces and cast into darkness as the ships loomed above the city. Ahsoka could only watch as the vendors and citizens of Jedha broke out into an immediate, hysterical panic. She could hear the city’s alarm sirens kick off and begin to blare deafeningly as the citizens rushed frantically around herself and Rex.

“Rex! We’ve got to help! Come on!” Ahsoka shouted, entirely unwilling to just stand and watch in horror. That was never her style, after all.

She was not at all surprised to see Rex quickly spring into action beside her. As the sirens droned on and the citizens screamed around them, she reached out to grab his pauldron, all but yanking him into an alley that she fervently hoped would protect them from the inevitable incoming blast.

“What’s our play?” She spoke firmly.

Dimly, she found herself feeling more than a slight sense of pride as she watched Rex immediately lapse into battle mode. “We need to get these people out of the street.” He replied quickly. “We can send the civilians through those exit points, and the buildings  _ should _ be enough to defend them from the first round of fire.” He continued, tapping his hand down on his wrist armor for emphasis, before directing his hand out towards the alleys of the street in demonstration. “Any second now, the Empire is going to open fire, and they’ll be right in the middle of it.”

“Right.” Ahsoka nodded quickly. “We also need to contact the Partisans, right away. If I’m able to get back to the shuttle, I could plug in the chip Benthic gave us, and-”

She was swiftly taken aback to see Rex smirk as he lifted his gaze above her shoulder. “Too late.” He spoke. 

Ahsoka arched a brow marking at him before turning on her heel to see a virtual  _ army _ of Partisans pouring into the streets of Jedha, seemingly from every direction  _ imaginable. _ She felt her jaw drop as her eyes took in the sheer number of them. She’d heard they were a substantial fighting force- but this? This was  _ incredible. _

At the very front of the battalion, leading seemingly  _ hundreds _ of men, was Benthic. The large rifle that had previously been slung across his back when they’d met was now held firmly in one hand. The other hand was gesturing wildly up towards the rapidly descending Imperial destroyers, and Ahsoka could hear his raspy, modulated voice shouting unintelligible orders at his men as they spilled out from around him.

Ahsoka immediately ran towards where the Partisans were marching through, Rex close behind. His men had already begun to form something of a blockade, using crates and pieces of material they’d ripped from the various storefronts. 

As they approached the wall, Rex could see Benthic standing on top of a large metal crate they’d brought out, standing above his army, his eyes trained on the ever approaching Imperial destroyers.

Rex cast his gaze to the Destroyers as well, cursing inwardly at how close they had already gotten. “Benthic!” He shouted above the deafening siren noise, waving his arm at the man.

“Benthic!” Ahsoka called out from behind him.

Ahsoka’s louder yell seemed to get his attention, and he quickly cast his gaze towards the two of them as they approached where he stood on top of the blockade. Upon seeing them, he deftly jumped down and slung his rifle against his chest, holding it securely as he made his way over to them.

“Ahsoka! Captain! You’re still here!” Benthic’s mechanical voice spoke out loudly above the mayhem, his tone much more even than Rex would have guessed it would be in a moment like this. Behind him, he could see Benthic’s men rapidly filling in behind the shoddy blockade, lining up what looked to be large Imperial E-Web cannons and aiming them towards the impending Star Destroyers.

_ I wonder where he got those, _ Rex thought to himself with a small smirk.

“We are!” Rex called out to him.

“Can I count on your support?” Benthic shouted, the screams of the citizens in the market around them nearly drowning him out.

“In a fight against the Empire?” Ahsoka spoke out towards him, casting her glance briefly toward Rex.

“Always.” She and Rex replied in unison.

Benthic’s face scrunched up in what Ahsoka could only guess was his version of a smile.

“Good!” He replied simply, his crackled voice rising above the sound of the massive Imperial Destroyer engines that were drawing closer by the second.

“What can we do?” Rex spoke up.

“Right! I need you two to back up my men! You’re a clone?” Benthic yelled, looking towards Rex, who nodded once.

“Then you know what to do! The Empire’s going to try to take out our headquarters, I know that’s what they’re gunning for first!” Benthic spoke loudly. “But I don’t care about that! My first priority is getting the citizens out of danger, affirmative? Our main base is on the east end of the market square, and that’s where they’re collecting now! They stay there, they’re done for!”

“How many forces do you have?” Rex called out.

“I have 144 men in the streets, and 75 elsewhere! Now, the bucketheads will be here any minute, and they’re gonna go for the people after they take out our base!” Benthic’s modulated voice yelled above the din.

“Right!” Ahsoka replied. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rex rapidly reloading his blasters as he listened to Benthic.

“I need them safe, first priority, help my men get them to the end of town, out near the west end! I have men waiting there to evacuate them to the main planet!” Benthic spoke loudly, before jumping up and climbing back on top of his crate.

“Jelan!” He called out to the Partisans scattered around him. “I need your men to cut off these streets, I want the Imps coming in from one direction only! Lir, I want your people to keep those E-Webs running!”

With that, Rex and Ahsoka took off down the street towards the east end of the market square. Ahsoka quickly lifted her wrist comm, punching Bail’s comm address into it and holding it as close to her face as possible as she sprinted alongside Rex.

“Ahsoka!” She could hear Bail answer, his voice all but drowned out by the noise.

“Senator Organa! This is Ahsoka Tano, I’m requesting immediate Alliance forces to be dispatched to NiJedha, impending Imperial attack!”

“Affirmative, we know what’s happening! Can you tell me about the Imperial forces?” Bail replied.

Ahsoka squinted up towards the now shadowy sky. “We’ve got at least five incoming Star Destroyers, and they’re going to be landing with substantial ground forces any minute now!”

She could hear Bail shout unintelligibly to someone on his side of the communication, before returning to Ahsoka. “We’ll do what we can.” He spoke.

“Bail, these people need help,  _ now!” _ Ahsoka yelled in response.

“From the sounds of it, there’s an entire Imperial  _ legion _ descending on NiJedha! I  _ will _ do what I can!” He replied shortly, before ending the comm.

“We’re on our own then.” Rex spoke as he ran alongside her, his voice low.

“They’ll come! They’re probably already coming, Rex!” She replied hastily, as if trying to convince herself of that fact.

“Ahsoka...they won’t-” Rex began, but Ahsoka quickly cut him off.

“They’ll come! For now, we’ve got to get the people safe!” She spoke out above the noise of the streets.

She wanted to tell Rex to trust the Alliance. After all, Bail hadn’t let her down yet. 

She knew the situation on Jedha was dangerous approaching hopeless, but she knew that if she and Rex were back at Alliance headquarters, they’d go to help. And the Rebellion was filled with people like them. 

The Alliance never relied on chance, after all. They relied on hope.

But before she could tell Rex any of that, her heart stopped as she heard the unmistakable sound of the beginnings of a laser charge coming from the Destroyers above them.

“Here we go!” She shouted to Rex, and she barely got the words out before the beam shot down to the city streets. She could only watch in horror as the beam connected with the ground below, sending shrapnel exploding seemingly miles into the air with the force of the impact. She could hear Rex utter a Mando’a curse under his breath, and they both hastened their pace as they saw the plume of smoke and fire exploding from the east end of the city. 

Through the thick, black smoke in the distance, she could see one of the Imperial Destroyers coming in for a landing in the space that had just been destroyed.

Almost immediately, she could see the predictable massive outpouring of white helmets flooding the leveled area around the Destroyer. Again, she heard the sound of laser charging. To her immediate dread, she could hear this blast connect with the west end of the city behind them, sending particulate raining down on top of both of them. They both brought their forearms behind their heads to feebly block the fragments, but continued running towards the east end.

As he and Ahsoka turned the corner into the eastern edge of the market, Rex could immediately see what Benthic was talking about. Seemingly  _ every _ citizen of NiJedha had retreated to this area from the bombardment, and he quickly saw why. Rex could see the buildings of the base Benthic had spoken of, but he could also see that there was a large mesa standing jagged against the sky behind the people, creating a nearly impossible landing area for the Empire.

However, Rex knew the Imperials didn’t want to land in the area. They wanted to  _ destroy _ it.

“Everybody, listen!” He shouted above the noise.  _ “Adate! Anade! Sushir!” _ He began yelling in Mando’a, the only other language he could speak well, having no idea what the adopted dialect of Jedha even was. He quickly realized he had absolutely no one’s attention, so he deftly jumped onto a crate beside him to tower over the terrified citizens. 

“Everybody!” He shouted again.

“Everyone!” Ahsoka yelled along with him, igniting her lightsaber swiftly and shoving it up towards the sky in hopes of drawing attention to themselves.

Rex sighed in frustration, and, not knowing how else to get their attention, quickly pulled one of his blasters from his holster and fired it three times into the air above his head, the sound of the bolts nearly deafening in his ear. He watched as the majority of the citizens turned to face him in shock. Exhaling raggedly in relief, he shouted again.

“You need to get out of here! _Eyaytir!_ Go to the west end! Now! _Jii!”_ He yelled as himself and Ahsoka began gesturing wildly away from the square. This time, the people seemed to hear him. Nearly in unison, the hundreds of citizens began to rush out of the east end, filtering through the various alleys back towards the other end of the city.

Rex jumped back down from the crate, and joined Ahsoka in motioning the people through the streets, the citizens brushing past the both of them as they frantically moved out. As the majority of them disappeared back into the main square, Rex began to scan the landscape for stragglers. 

As he did so, however, the grim outline of a descending Star Destroyer began to crawl ominously into view through the now darkened twilight sky. Just as he thought it would fly above them to land more troopers near the other Imperial forces, it seemed to stop in midair. His breath caught in his throat as he heard the deafening sound of a charging bombardment. 

“Ahsoka!” He spoke firmly, reaching out to grasp her arm and turning to follow the retreating citizens. “Ahsoka, we’ve got to go now!”

“Rex, wait!” Ahsoka shouted.

“What?! We need to-” He stopped abruptly however, as he saw what she saw.

In the middle of the now cleared east square, a little Tholothian girl stood alone, looking around frantically, tears streaming down her face.

“Kid! Come on! Come over here!” Rex yelled towards her.  _ “K-olar!” _

The little girl cast her gaze to Ahsoka and Rex, but just continued to cry.

“Little one!” Ahsoka shouted. “Over here!” She continued, gesturing frantically for the girl to come towards them. 

The girl just stood, seemingly rooted to the ground, intense fear painted across her tiny face. Rex watched as the child jumped as she heard the sound of the laser beam charging.

“I don’t think she understands.” Rex spoke frantically to Ahsoka, before beginning to move towards the girl.

He was surprised to feel Ahsoka’s hand shoot across his chest, holding him back. “I think she thinks you're a Stormtrooper! Go, get to the west end, I’ll be right behind you.” Ahsoka spoke quickly.

“Ahsoka, I’m not leaving you-” He began to respond incredulously.

Ahsoka cut him off sharply. “Now, Rex! I’m  _ not _ going to ask twice!” 

He stood there, searching her eyes for a moment, before turning from her and running towards the alleys that led away from the east end. 

As he ran, he tried to follow Ahsoka’s command. He really did. But as soon he reached the entrance of the alley, he couldn’t help but stop and cast his gaze back towards Ahsoka. He watched as she jumped deftly up from the ground, sailing through the air as only a Jedi could, her red shawl flying out behind her.

She connected with the ground swiftly, landing with a hand out in front of her before the girl. Rex looked on as she scooped the child up easily before sprinting towards where he stood waiting in the alley. To his horror, he heard the blast of the Destroyer beam firing, before connecting with the base behind Ahsoka and the girl. He could only watch as the buildings seemed to waver for a moment, before becoming completely unhinged from the ground and beginning to fall.

Ahsoka turned to look behind her at the noise before rapidly speeding up her pace to outrun one of the now crumbling buildings. Before Rex could even blink, she and the girl had reached him.

“I told you to go! I thought you were all about following orders!” Ahsoka spoke ruefully, slight sarcasm filtering through her voice as she shouted above the noise of the base crashing to the ground and leveling the east end. 

“I thought I’d take a page from your book, and not follow them for once!” Rex all but laughed as they sprinted alongside one another through the smoke-filled alley.

Ahsoka shook her head with the faintest hint of a smile, still holding the girl protectively in her arms as they ran. “I can’t be mad at that!”

After a few minutes of running, they turned the corner leading into the west end. As they did so, they saw a Tholothian woman scrambling back through the streets. 

“Stop!” Ahsoka shouted. “Don’t go back!”

Ahsoka was slightly surprised as the woman actually stopped, following her directions. Though, she quickly understood why as the woman’s panicked expression quickly turned to one of immense relief as she saw the child bundled up in Ahsoka’s arms.

“My daughter!” She exclaimed, running towards Ahsoka and quickly snatching the child away from her. The little girl’s arms immediately wrapped around her mother’s neck, and she buried her face in her shoulder.

“Thank you, thank you.” The woman spoke quickly towards Ahsoka, before turning on her heel and springing back towards the west end.

Breathing out a mutual sigh of relief, Ahsoka and Rex quickly followed suit, and as they entered the square once again, they could see the Partisans pouring through the streets and running along the rooftops towards the Imperial forces. As they exited the opening of the alley, they turned to see that a large group of Stormtroopers had entered the streets, and were now locked in combat with Benthic’s men on the ground.

“Rex! They’re gonna need backup!” Ahsoka shouted above the noise. “Get to Benthic, rally some people! I’ll help them here!”

“Got it!” He replied quickly, and they swiftly went their separate ways. Ahsoka picked up her pace and sprinted towards the front of the battle, pulling her lightsaber from her belt and swiftly igniting it, holding it out in a reverse grip behind her as she ran.

Ahsoka quickly became aware that it was not only the Partisans in this fight, now. As she ran past the people on the ground, she realized that the majority of them were not Benthic’s forces, but rather ordinary citizens, seemingly armed to teeth with every type of weapon imaginable.

She quickly leaped up into the air above the fighter’s heads, coming to land just in front of the barricade they’d built. She swiftly brought her saber down in front of her as she watched the Stormtroopers advance down the street. All too quickly, her ears were filled with the sound of blaster bolts flying through the air. She swung her saber around deftly in front of her, easily dodging and blocking the bolts in an effort to protect the battle line.

Just as the Imperials began to fire, the citizens of Jedha and the Partisans behind her let out what could only be described as battle cries as they charged into the streets ahead before beginning to fire back relentlessly at the Stormtroopers.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka could see a tanned man in a long, red robe moving slowly amongst the Partisan forces, holding a large walking stick in his hand. More than slightly disconcerted, she turned to look at him, still deftly blocking blaster bolts as they flew past her, albeit, blindly. As his face came into her view, she realized in horror his eyes were clouded over. He was  _ blind. _

Ahsoka quickly ran over to the man, desperately worried for his safety, wanting him securely out of the line of fire. As she reached him, she placed her hand on his shoulder roughly, and leaned down to shout to him above the noise.

“You need to get out of here!” She exclaimed. “You’re not safe, there’s-”

Ahsoka was quickly interrupted however, as the man turned to face her. He stared her directly in the eyes as he spoke to her, and she couldn’t help but think he was looking at her. Almost,  _ through _ her.

“I can protect myself, my dear!” He spoke with a smile, before pulling his shoulder from her grasp and rushing ahead into the street. Ahsoka watched in astounded silence for the briefest of moments as he expertly maneuvered through the crowd as if he could see, his large stick in tow.

Quickly snapping out of the slight shock, she rushed forward as well, taking up the lead of the forces to shield them from the blaster fire. To her side, she saw the man abruptly stop as he reached the front of the line. She felt a sickening feeling crawl up in her stomach as she saw a Stormtrooper approach the man, before lifting his blaster to point directly at his face. 

Ahsoka desperately wanted to help him, but her attention was quickly ripped from the man as a Stormtrooper approached her and began firing. Whirling sharply to face him, Ahsoka brought her saber up in front of her face to protect herself before jumping swiftly through the air. She swung her saber down in front of her as she landed nearly directly on top of the Stormtrooper, plunging her saber down into his chest. 

Ripping her saber back out, she sprung off his chest as the trooper fell back. Almost immediately, she had to quickly turn around as three more troopers approached behind her, beginning to shoot. Breathing out harshly, she jumped up into the air and twisted herself around to deftly dodge their fire, before landing and swiping her saber across all three of their chests in a nearly straight line, before they all stumbled and fell in unison.

The ones that fell were unsurprisingly quickly replaced, and Ahsoka swiftly became surrounded by four more troopers. Taking a quick deep breath, she thrust her saber forward, only to bring it swinging back, taking the Stormtroopers that had filled in behind her by surprise. She managed to quickly swipe her saber at the two of them, before lifting their bodies with the Force and launching them towards the other troopers, causing all four of them to fly back into the walls of the city with a crash.

Finally having an opportunity, she rapidly turned her attention back to the blind man, but was astounded at what she saw. He seemed to be taking on three Stormtroopers at once, jumping and twisting around them in a fighting style that reminded her profoundly of Master Yoda. She watched as he quickly knocked two of the trooper's heads together with his large stick, causing them to fall. As one approached from behind him and took up position, the man quickly jumped back around to impale the trooper with the blunt end of the stick.

_ Looks like he’s got this,  _ Ahsoka thought to herself with an astonished smile before following the rest of the Partisan forces down the streets.

Dimly, she could hear Rex’s distinct voice behind her, and she turned to face in his direction. She couldn’t help but smile at what she saw. He was leading the remaining battalion of Partisans down the street, calling out orders the whole way.

“I need men up on these rooftops, we can pick off the bucketheads from there!” He shouted firmly.

Ahsoka watched as a stray blaster bolt flew through the air towards Rex, only for him to swiftly jerk his head from its path, as if it were simply an inconvenience, in a move that reminded her forcibly of Anakin.

As Rex caught Ahsoka’s gaze, he nodded to her quickly and continued to yell orders to the Partisans behind him, and to whatever civilians had since joined in the chaos.

“Then, we cut off their access to the west end, I need blockades on any outlet streets! Let’s move!” He finished, before running up behind Ahsoka and advancing alongside her. 

“Having fun yet, Rex?” Ahsoka called out to him, not turning her gaze from in front of her as she continued to deftly block the incoming shots with her saber.

“I’d be having more if I had my helmet!” He laughed in reply, firing both his blasters relentlessly into the oncoming Imperial forces.

Suddenly, Ahsoka became aware of even more Stormtroopers flooding into the streets, seemingly erasing the entirety of the Partisan’s progress. Sighing ruefully, she simply continued to trek on through the noise and the smoke. There was no other option. Almost as if to cement their inevitable loss, another laser beam struck the moon, sending an entire city block up in flames in the distance.

The wreckage from the blast was thrust into the air, and began raining down on their forces. Suddenly, Ahsoka saw a huge metal fragment flying above them as it fell straight down towards Rex. Sucking in a breath, she quickly launched herself from the ground’s surface, twisting herself around in the air so that she was behind the large piece of shrapnel. Reaching out into the Force around it, she cast the piece towards the Imperials, trembling with the effort before falling back down through the air.

As if he wasn’t sure what had happened, Rex turned to look at her in confusion as she landed deftly in front of him with one hand on the ground, before it dawned on him. 

“Thanks,  _ cyare.” _ He sighed in relief with a wry smile, which she readily returned before looking back towards the fighting.

Casting his gaze back towards the Imperial advancement as well, Rex sighed ruefully before continuing to fire as the Partisan forces began to be forcefully shoved back by the Stormtroopers.

As he painfully saw the Partisans and citizens of Jedha dying around him, Rex found himself frantically wondering when Alliance forces were coming.  _ If _ they were coming. He dimly began to wonder if he should tell Benthic to order a retreat. If the man would even listen to him, that is. Though it brought him a large amount of shame to even think of retreat, much less from the Empire, the odds were dwindling rapidly against their favor and the whole battle was swiftly becoming an exercise in futility. 

Rex was jerked from his dark thoughts by the sound of a massive, deafening crack. The only reason he could even hear it above the shouts of the fighters and the noise of the sirens was because it sounded like nothing he’d ever heard in his _ life.  _

Ahsoka, and the Partisans around them seemed to hear it too, and they all looked around frantically for the source. They quickly found it.

The Imperial Star Destroyers had fired a massive shot at the large mesa that rose above the city, causing an enormous fracture line to split down the side of it. The entirety of the hundreds of people in the street seemed to hold their breath as the crack spread jaggedly through the side of the cliff. 

Though, the deafening crack of the split was nothing compared to the sound that was heard when the entire mesa came crumbling down into the streets of NiJedha. 

Benthic began to shout a frantic order for retreat as the large boulders came tumbling down into the market, and chaos quickly descended. The civilian and Partisan forces were quickly fractured, the battle lines shattered as all hell seemed to break loose. 

Without even thinking, Rex swiftly shot out his hand to grab Ahsoka’s armored forearm as they both began to sprint away from the falling debris along with the rest of NiJedha’s forces. The streets were quickly thrust into nearly pitch darkness and thick dust, and Rex suddenly felt Ahsoka’s hand violently rip from his. Turning on his heel, he saw Ahsoka standing powerfully behind him, her shaking hands held up above her as she struggled to keep a massive boulder back with the Force. 

As the people rushed about around her, he watched as her entire body began to tremble with the intense effort. It was then he found himself in a position he never wanted to be in. He was powerless to help. All he could do was watch.

Suddenly, he saw a small rock about the size of a combat boot tear off of one of the other descending boulders, flying down through the sky before striking Ahsoka, sending her flying back as the massive boulder she had been holding back crashed into the now empty area behind them.

“Ahsoka!” He yelled agonizingly, sending ripples of pain through his vocal cords. “No!” He cried.

He instantly bolted over to where her body now laid in the street, her forearm hanging weakly across her face. As he got closer to her, he continued to run before sliding up next to her as he dropped to his knees. 

“No, no, no.” Rex muttered under his breath, tears already forming in his eyes as he pried her limp body up from the dusty ground, frantically pulling her against him so he could lean over her. 

“You’re okay,  _ cyar’ika.” _ He whispered frantically, almost to himself, as he placed his shaking fingers against her throat, trying desperately to feel her pulse. “You’re fine,  _ cyare.” _ He spoke gently, as if saying she was fine would make her be. He cursed under his breath as he pulled his trembling hand back and shook it rapidly, trying futilely to dispel the tremors before quickly replacing it.

Rex let out a ragged, relieved sigh as he found her pulse beneath his fingers, still strong and fast. However, his attention was quickly jerked away by the modulated voices and footsteps of what sounded like  _ hundreds _ of Stormtroopers marching down the streets towards them.

As he saw the outlines of their forms beginning to step through the smoke and the dust, he turned back to Ahsoka and frantically gathered her into his arms, lifting her up easily to settle around his shoulders before taking off running towards the western edge of town. As he raced down the streets, he held Ahsoka secure on his shoulders in one hand, his blaster held firmly in the other.

Benthic and the rest of the Partisan forces, along with the people of Jedha, came into Rex’s view as he all but stumbled across the new barricade they’d hastily constructed. He could hear Benthic’s strained voice still shouting orders to the Partisans above the noise of the citizens that were huddled there, waiting for evacuation.

Rex slid behind the Partisan line and into a small alcove in the side of the street, somewhat away from most of the noise. As he did so, he almost felt his shoulders get heavier. Trying to look up at Ahsoka the best he could from this angle, he felt her body begin to move and squirm against him.

He swiftly lowered his shoulders to gently deposit her feet on the ground. As he turned to face her, her stance wavered for a moment, and he quickly stuck out his hand to steady her. He breathed a sigh of relief as his eyes tracked over her largely unharmed body.

“I…” Ahsoka shook her head with a breathy exhale, before peering around her. Her blue eyes were glassy for a moment, but as she shook her head again they seemed to clear up, to Rex’s immediate relief. “What happened?”

“You checked out on me for a minute there, Tano.” He spoke softly, his joking tone severely undermined by the thickness of his voice and the unshed tears shining in his eyes.

“Rex, I’m sorry. I didn’t-” Ahsoka started to speak.

“No, ‘Soka, no. Don’t ever apologize to me, for anything, much less this. You saved us, all of us. This fight would’ve ended  _ real _ quick if you hadn’t stopped that rock.” He spoke quickly, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder.

Ahsoka sighed, her body relaxing slightly. “It didn’t hit anyone?” She asked. Rex was relieved to hear her memory of the incident was still there. She was okay.

“No, thanks to you.” He replied quietly. 

They were both jerked back to their surroundings as they heard the massive engine of an Imperial ship shake the ground below them. The citizens of Jedha seemed to be thrown into an even greater panic as the outline of three massive ships filled into the dark sky directly above them.

Rex’s heart stopped. There was nowhere else to go. This was it. 

He was about to reach out to hold Ahsoka, to tell her just how much she’d meant to him throughout his life. Just how much he  _ loved _ her. Though, as he turned slowly to do so, he was shocked to see a bright smile spreading across her face.

“I told you they were coming!” Ahsoka shouted above the noise with a smile, pointing up towards the sky. As he followed the direction of her finger, he heard the screams of the citizens turn into cheers as three large Rebellion Liberators descended on the city before moving forward slightly to take fire at the Imperial forces.

And flying right alongside the massive Alliance ships was the light Corellian Freighter known as the Ghost.

Ahsoka’s montrals were blown back as she looked up towards the Ghost, light pouring out from its massive bay door as it opened. Not moments later, she could see Kanan and Ezra jump deftly from the bay, before landing easily in front of herself and Rex.

“You never commed!” Kanan shouted above the noise. “So we figured you could use a pick up!”

“You figured right!” Ahsoka yelled back. 

Ahsoka turned her gaze to watch as Hera gently landed the ship onto the ground, the red dust pluming out around it as she did so. She watched Sabine’s colorful Mandalorian helmet come into view, and the girl gestured to the four of them.

“Come on, guys! We don’t have all day!” Sabine shouted towards them.

Ahsoka and Rex quickly ran forward into the bay doors of the ship, Kanan and Ezra close behind. Before they could even close the bay door, Hera began to lift the ship from the ground as they rapidly gained altitude. 

“Wait, where is she going?” Ahsoka spoke, feeling a lurch as the Ghost oriented towards the sky.

“Listen, Ahsoka-” Kanan began.

Rex jumped in. “No, where is she going? The Partisans need our help, they-”

“...are being evacuated.” Kanan cut in. “The Empire has already wiped out a lot of their forces. I guess the new leader of the Partisans-”

“Benthic?” Rex spoke up.

Kanan nodded. “Benthic contacted Bail shortly after you two did. The Partisans are nearly gone, guys. The Liberators are only here to evacuate as many people as possible. The Empire has...retaken Jedha.”

Rex just sighed as he ran a worn hand over his face. Ahsoka simply turned her gaze away, and strode over to grab one of the handles on the side of the bay, looking out the open doors at the now destroyed city of NiJedha about thirty feet down. Off in the distance, she swore she could see the marble statue of the Jedi...still standing tall.

Behind her, she heard Ezra speak.

“Kanan! What? That doesn’t mean we still shouldn’t _try!_ I thought we came here to help!” The boy exclaimed.

“Ezra…” Kanan began.

“No! We can help! We can-” Ezra spoke frantically.

Kanan sighed. “NiJedha isn’t going to make it, Ezra. So what we have to do now is-”

Ezra just walked away, crossing the room to sit down on one of the benches with a huff.

Ahsoka turned towards the kid, trying to offer gentle reassurance with her eyes as she looked at him. Clearing her throat, she spoke out to him. “You know, Ezra,” She began in a soft voice. “...sometimes, in war, we have to-”

She was abruptly cut off as the Ghost gave a sudden lurch. Trying to steady herself, she gripped the handle of the bay more tightly, but as the ship shook violently again and the handle was ripped from her grasp as she fell out the open bay door.

“Ahsoka!” Rex shouted as he sprinted over to the bay door, before grabbing the handle and looking frantically down towards the ground. 

“Ahsoka!” Ezra and Sabine seemed to cry in unison, Ezra rushing forward to bump into Rex as he came to stand behind him, trying to look out the bay door. 

“Hera, lower the ship!” Kanan yelled frantically as he ran up to stand behind Rex and Ezra.

Quickly, Rex ran back towards the supply crates and ripped one of them open, looking for a parachute or  _ anything _ to help him reach the ground below. He found nothing. 

Rushing back towards the open bay doors, he looked down at the city below, trying to find any trace of Ahsoka. His mind raced as he tried to figure out how to get to her. Dimly, he realized the ground was only about thirty feet down. 

_ It’ll hurt, _ he thought frantically to himself.  _ But it won’t kill me. Probably.  _

He grabbed on to the bay door handle and took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to do. 

“I’m going to get her!” Rex shouted to Kanan above the engine noise of the Ghost, before bending his knees as he prepared to jump. “There’s a clearing past the west end of the city, wait for us there!”

“Rex, are you insane?!” Ezra cried from behind him.

“No, Rex, stay! I’m going to get her. I promise!” Kanan spoke quickly.

Even though himself and Kanan had made great strides as of late, Rex still found he couldn’t quite completely trust the Jedi. Rex  _ definitely _ didn’t trust him enough to not go after Ahsoka himself.

“No, Kanan, I...I can’t let you do this!” Rex exclaimed. “It’s-”

He was surprised as Kanan just smiled at him ever so slightly. “I’d do anything for you guys.” Kanan spoke to him quietly, before turning to Ezra. “Ezra!” He shouted. “Don’t you dare come after me, you stay here with Rex and Sabine!”

With that, Kanan deftly jumped out of the open bay doors and disappeared into the darkness below.

“Sabine!” Rex heard Hera yell from the cockpit. “I can’t see anything past this smoke! I need you to guide me to a clearing where I can land!”

“Okay!” The girl shouted, her young voice cracking slightly as she did so. She immediately rushed over to the open bay doors, and Rex instinctively grabbed the girl’s forearm to secure her as she leaned out through the ship’s opening. Ezra seemed to snap to attention, and he came to stand by Rex’s side, grabbing Sabine’s other arm and leaning back, using his body weight to keep her balanced.

“Hera, turn five degrees left, and there’s a spot!” Sabine shouted, and the three of them felt the ship start to turn. Sabine’s helmet rose as she looked out towards the horizon. “We can’t take too long, though! Empire’s tearing it up out here!”

“Got it!” Hera shouted.

“We’re going to get her, Rex.” Sabine spoke quietly, turning to face him.

Rex just nodded, but his eyes spoke volumes.

He felt the Ghost give a sharp lurch as Hera abruptly dropped the ship’s altitude level. He tightened his grip on Sabine’s arm and reached out to grab Ezra’s shoulder, holding them both securely in the ship. The kids’ proximity to the open bay doors was making him  _ beyond _ nervous. 

After what felt like hours, but was likely only seconds, the ship finally touched the ground, the landing gear hissing as it did so. Rex squinted out into the night around the ship, the sky of NiJedha now pitch black. In the distance, he could still hear the sounds of battle, and he could see the bright glow of blaster bolts streaking across the darkened city.

He felt his heart rate increase as he continued to gaze out into the dark, still seeing no sign of Ahsoka or Kanan. Just as he was about to run out of the ship to find them, he saw the outline of a lone shadow making its way towards them. 

Suddenly, the sounds of battle seemed to grow closer, almost as if it were happening in the bay of the ship. As he watched the figure approach, he could see the firefight of the Empire and the remaining Partisans grow closer to the Ghost behind them. It wasn’t until a stray blaster bolt lodged into the side of the Ghost that he realized how close the battle was really getting.

Instinctively, Rex placed his arms across Sabine and Ezra, as if to shield them from any incoming shots.

Behind him, he could hear Zeb’s heavy footsteps and the squeak of Chopper’s wheels as they both entered the bay. As Zeb approached, Rex saw he was armed with his large blaster rifle, seemingly  _ ready _ for trouble. He was glad to have the Lasat around then, and not for the first time.

“Ahsoka!” Rex called out the open door towards the figure. Just as he was about to step out, the shadow materialized and he could see Kanan walking slowly towards them.

“Kanan!” Ezra shouted from behind Rex, before rushing past him and running down to meet Kanan, who wrapped an arm around him as they both continued back toward the Ghost.

As Kanan stepped inside with Ezra close behind, Rex ran up to him. 

“Kanan, where’s Ahsoka?” He asked frantically as he grabbed on to the Jedi’s shoulder, trying and failing to hide the panic seeping through his voice. “Kanan, where is she?”

Kanan turned toward him, but before he could speak, Rex saw Ahsoka off in the distance where Kanan had emerged from. She had her lightsaber out, the bright white light streaking across the night sky as she deftly blocked blaster bolts with it. She continued to dodge the shots as she walked slowly backwards toward the open bay doors of the ship. Upon seeing her, Rex released Kanan quickly, brushing past the Jedi roughly as he rushed down to meet her, but he stopped in his tracks as she turned to face him. 

“We have to get out of here!” Ahsoka shouted, turning on her heel and running into the ship towards him. Rex took a few steps back to stand completely inside the ship, waiting for her. As she made her way towards the Ghost, his worried gaze traveled over her, silently looking for any injuries.

When he couldn’t see any apparent ones, Rex sighed in relief. Moments later, he could hear the familiar sound of the Ghost engine roaring to life and the metallic grinding of the landing gear retracting back into the ship as Hera began to launch it off the ground, and not a moment too soon as the battle began to spill into the clearing. Looking out towards Ahsoka, Rex watched as she quickly sprang up off the ground, deftly jumping into the open bay doors of the Ghost before reaching over and slamming the button to close them as the ship flew up towards the sky.

Rex just smiled at her, intense relief painting his features. He extended his arms toward her, and she sighed contentedly and strode over towards him, meeting him halfway and all but falling into his arms. He drew her body close to his before capturing her lips into a deep kiss. Ahsoka’s hands rose to card through his grey beard, bringing his lips even closer to hers, if that were even possible. He felt her exhale softly, obviously relieved to see him. They both adjusted the angles of their faces to deepen the kiss further, and he sighed, running rough hands across her back before pulling her closer against him.

Abruptly, Rex froze in horror, swiftly realizing they were still in full view of the Ghost crew. He roughly pulled apart from her, feeling a blush crawl up to cover his entire face. Ahsoka just sighed, obviously not bothered one bit.

To Rex’s surprise, not one member of the Ghost crew looked at all shocked. Well,  _ almost _ every member of the crew figured they were closer than they’d said. Rex cast his gaze to Ezra who stood staring at him and Ahsoka, his jaw nearly touching the floor. However, the rest of them simply blinked, and Zeb broke the silence as he began to speak. “Hera, did the other Alliance ships get out safe?” He called out.

“As far as I know, Zeb! I’m meeting with Bail tonight, we may know more then!” Hera shouted back, her voice echoing through the bay.

Ahsoka sighed in relief. “Thank gods.”

Rex nodded before coughing awkwardly, still not quite recovered from the previous incident. Though, he was quickly drawn from the beating he had received from kicking himself mentally as Sabine suddenly cried out.

“Kanan, are you okay?!”

Rex cast his gaze to the Jedi in surprise, before seeing what Sabine was talking about. Kanan’s pant leg was torn on his left shin, and blood was steadily seeping through the fabric and pooling onto the floor.

“Oh my gods, Kanan!” Ahsoka exclaimed, rushing over to him and holding his body steady with her hand, as if preparing for him to faint.

Kanan looked about as surprised as they all were, and leaned down to look closer at his leg. As he did so, his knees seemed to buckle and Ahsoka tightened her grip on him as he abruptly lost the ability to stand. Rex rushed forward to grab his other arm, and together they both gently dragged his upper body over to sit on one of the benches.

“Kanan! Are you okay?” Ezra shouted from behind them, quickly ducking between Rex and Ahsoka as he tried to get a glimpse of him.

“Kanan, I didn’t know it was  _ this _ bad!” Ahsoka exclaimed.

“I didn’t either.” Kanan choked with a rueful laugh, before hissing in pain as he tried to lift up his injured leg. “I’m sure it’d be a lot worse if it weren’t for you, though.” He chuckled, looking towards Ahsoka.

“What the hell happened?” Rex asked Ahsoka.

“I caught a blaster bolt to the leg.” Kanan answered. “I thought it just skimmed me, but apparently…” He trailed off.

“You got shot by an Imp?” Zeb laughed from behind them.

“Zeb, shut up!” Kanan spoke sharply, rubbing his upper leg ruefully, as if trying to distract himself from the pain. Rex quickly removed a small pad of gauze that he kept in his pack, before leaning down towards Kanan’s leg and pressing it on. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

“We were running away from the Stormtroopers, and Kanan got shot. We both thought it just grazed him, Kanan, I’m so sorry, I-” Ahsoka spoke quickly.

Kanan waved his hand at her feebly. “You didn’t know. Besides, you saved me out there. I probably would’ve bought it from a  _ buckethead _ if you didn’t block the rest of the shots.” Kanan laughed.

Ahsoka chuckled weakly at his attempt at a joke, and she became alarmed as she saw the color steadily draining from his face, his tanned skin quickly turning a dull grey. At her worried expression, Kanan just laughed loudly again, almost deliriously.

It was then that Hera emerged from the cockpit, and Ahsoka could hear the whirr of the autopilot kick on as she stepped out into the bay. “What is happening out here?” Hera asked incredulously. “I don’t know what there is to laugh about at a time like this, but-”

It was then she cast her gaze around the room, and saw the blood smeared across the floor. Seemingly confused, she looked down at the floor, then to Kanan, then the floor again before abruptly rushing forward towards the bench where they’d gathered.

“Kanan, gods, are you okay, love?” Hera spoke frantically as she reached him, bringing her hands up to cradle his jaw.

Kanan laughed breathily. “I’m...I’m fine-d. Hera.” He replied choppily. “Fine-d.”

Hera cast Ahsoka a worried look before crouching down to check his leg. 

“He’s lost a lot of blood.” Rex whispered to Hera as he continued to press the bandage to Kanan’s leg. He spoke quietly to her, so as to not needlessly alarm Kanan. Or Ezra, for that matter, who was now standing over in the corner of the room, sweating bullets and looking like he was about to be sick all over the bay.

Hera nodded. “We’re about five minutes out from  _ Phoenix Home.  _ Keep the pressure, I think he’s going to be fine.” She finished, before standing up again and making her way to the cockpit again, and Rex could hear the engine noise increase as she ramped up the hyperdrive speed.

As Rex held the gauze to Kanan’s leg, Ahsoka crouched down next to him. 

“Sounds like you did a good job out there.” Rex muttered quietly with a smile.

“Just doing my duty.” Ahsoka smirked.

“That’s my line.” He chided quietly. Ahsoka smiled at this. Dimly, Rex felt Kanan’s leg relax under his hand, and looked up to see that he had passed out, and was now slumped over on the bench. As Ahsoka noticed this, she sprang to her feet in a panic. Rex gently grabbed the back of her calf, and she looked down at him.

“He’s fine, ‘Soka. It’s to be expected.” Rex spoke quietly.

“I know. I just wanted to make sure he didn’t die on us.” Ahsoka replied ruefully.

“Nah.” Rex responded with a chuckle. “This guy’s too stubborn for that.”

Ahsoka laughed before making her way over to Ezra, and Rex could hear them talking unintelligibly for a few minutes. After a little while passed, he could hear the familiar sound of the Ghost docking onto  _ Phoenix Home.  _ As they landed, it seemed Hera had more than planned ahead, because as soon as the bay doors opened, a team of volunteer Alliance medics rushed in. They quickly took up positions around Kanan before lifting him up onto a small stretcher and carrying him away, Hera close on their heels.

Ahsoka, Rex, and Ezra followed close behind, as well. The other members of the Ghost crew elected to stay in the ship, not knowing whether they were going to be needed or not. Or in Chopper’s case, not caring. 

As they approached the medbay of the  _ Phoenix Home, _ Ahsoka and Hera followed Kanan and the medical team inside, and Rex and Ezra chose to wait out in the hallway. Normally, Rex would have gone inside with them, as he was more than used to dealing with injuries. Ezra, however, was not. And he didn’t want the kid to have to wait alone.

After a few silent minutes went by before Rex glanced over at Ezra, who sat next to him on the bench twisting his hands nervously in his lap.

“He’s gonna be fine, kid. That bacta works wonders.” Rex chuckled as he continued. “He’ll be up and bossing you around before you know it.” 

Ezra just nodded solemnly, not bringing his gaze from his hands. “So, you and Ahsoka, huh?” He spoke quietly, seeming eager to change the subject.

“Yeah.” Rex replied, not knowing quite what else to say.

Ezra nodded. “I’m glad you guys have each other.”

Rex was slightly taken aback at the kid’s stoic, simple response. “Uh, thanks.” He responded.

Ezra turned to him with a slight smile before returning his attention to the floor and beginning to lightly kick the sides of the bench legs with his feet.

After a few more minutes, Ahsoka emerged from the medbay with a sigh. Ezra shot up to his feet, and Rex simply looked up at her, raising a brow.

“Ezra, Hera and Kanan want to see you.” Ahsoka said softly with a smile. Upon hearing this, the kid quickly bolted past her into the medbay, slamming the door noisily behind him. As soon as Ezra had left, Rex cleared his throat to speak.

“How is he, really?” Rex spoke tentatively. 

“Nothing a little bacta can’t fix. Why, are you worried about him?” Ahsoka replied with a smirk.

“No!” Rex shot back. “No, just...he’s an important part of the crew, and it would be to our tactical disadvantage to lose him.”

Ahsoka raised a brow marking at him. “Right.” She sighed before continuing. “Hera’s going to stay with him, she wants me to meet with Bail in her stead. I was going anyway, but I told her I would to make her feel better.”

Rex nodded before standing to his feet. “Should I come with you?”

“I think that’d be best. We were both on Jedha, after all.” She spoke, her voice low. 

With that, they began to walk in silence through the empty white hallways of the _ Phoenix Home,  _ their shared footsteps echoing quietly against the metal walls.

After a few moments, Ahsoka approached the control room door, swiftly stepping inside. She and Rex were quickly greeted by Bail, Sato, Cassian, Moran, and a few other Senators and Officers of the Alliance, all gathered around the main holotable. 

Bail cleared his throat. “Commander Tano, Captain Rex.” He began. “I’m very glad to see you are both unharmed. Captain, I am  _ also _ glad to see you have decided to join our cause. You have our thanks.”

“Thank you, Senator Organa. I’m honored to be here.” Rex replied tactfully. Ahsoka smiled slightly at Rex’s diplomatic tone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cassian nod to her, and she nodded back to him with a smile before both of them came to join him on his side of the table.

“Thank you all for meeting here on short notice.” Bail spoke. “I thought I would brief you all on the developing situation in Jedha. We were able to evacuate a portion of the civilian population of the capital, including some of the Partisans. However, their forces have suffered...heavy losses.” Bail continued, his voice grim.

“And Benthic?” Ahsoka asked quietly.

“Benthic has provided the information I’m about to relay to all of you. As far as we know at this time, he lives.” Bail replied with a sigh.

The members of the table nodded, and Ahsoka felt slightly relieved. While she and Benthic were not  _ friends _ by any stretch of the imagination, she respected the skill and the spirit she’d seen from him in battle tonight. She could only hope that Saw, Benthic, and the rest of the Partisans would continue down the right path. In the back of her mind, however, she knew their ideologies would eventually lead them astray. Based on what she’d seen, it was only a matter of time.

“That being said,” Bail continued, drawing her from her thoughts, “...the Empire has retaken Jedha, and has now begun to form a massive blockade of the planet, and the moon of NiJedha. One, I am sure, we will not be able to breach as easily...if at all.”

The meeting went on for a couple more hours as Bail and Sato discussed the tentative plans for a new Alliance strategy for the capitol, Ahsoka and Rex briefed the Alliance about their experience on Jedha, and Captain Moran spoke about his recent follow up mission to the Outer Rim.

After the rest of the Alliance members had gradually filtered out of the briefing, Ahsoka and Rex all but stumbled out the control room door, feeling the weight of the day settle heavily onto them as they trudged their way back to the ship in silence.

As they entered the common room of the Ghost again after what seemed like forever, they saw Zeb and Sabine playing Dejarik absently in silence. As Ahsoka looked down at their worn faces as she walked past, she could tell the day had been punishing for them, too.

She continued up the ladder towards Rex’s bunk before just walking in, too exhausted to bother with any pretense. Besides, if the Ghost crew hadn’t known about their relationship before, they definitely did now.

She sank down into Rex’s bed with a sigh, and he stood behind the closed door, deftly removing his blasters, holsters, and emptying his pockets onto a small table before coming to settle in next to her. They sat together quietly for a moment, staring off blankly at the cabin walls, as if finally coming to terms with everything they’d been through in the last day.

Causing Rex to jump ever so slightly, Ahsoka broke the silence suddenly. “I don’t know that we can go on missions together anymore.” She whispered, her gaze still steady.

Rex’s body stiffened, and he turned to face her. “What?” He spoke, his voice sounding unexpectedly, deeply hurt. “W-why?”

Ahsoka sighed before reluctantly turning towards him. “I feel...horrible, Rex. I feel  _ sick.  _ You’ve only been back with me for…” She thought for a moment before passing her hand over her face roughly, as if punishing herself. “Gods, only for two days. And I’ve already put you through...all this.” She spoke, gesturing weakly into the cabin around her as if trying to capture the whole galaxy. “Rex, I’m so sorry. I...can’t help but feel guilty.” 

“I thought I told you not to apologize to me.” He spoke guardedly.

“You know I don’t take orders well.” She chuckled ruefully. Almost reluctantly, he smiled ever so slightly at this. “But seriously, Rex. I’m so sorry that I put you through this. It seems to me like we’ve been through more chaos in the last day than you’ve been through in years.  _ Because  _ of me.”

“Well, Ahsoka, it seems to  _ me, _ like we just picked up where we left off, chaos-wise.” He chuckled, before gently grasping her armored forearm that was laid across her lap. “And I’m  _ happy _ about that.” He spoke earnestly, leaning down to look her in the eyes. She lifted her gaze to look at him in surprise. “Chaos is standard operating procedure for us, after all.”

“I know, but Rex, I can’t...lose you.” She spoke quietly, as if afraid saying it out loud would make it happen, and utterly terrified of the possibility. 

To her surprise, and slight offense, Rex just laughed. “I think you’re forgetting that I was born for this, ‘Soka.  _ Literally, _ remember? I was born to fight this fight. I’m ready.” His voice lowered as he continued, his tone solemn. “If I  _ somehow _ wasn’t sure about that before, I am now, after seeing the Empire’s...actions, today.” 

Ahsoka sighed ruefully. “I want there to be more to your life than war, Rex.” She replied.

He just smiled. “There is. You.” He spoke softly. “So, promise to take me along?” He finished, the thickness of his voice betraying his nonchalant tone.

Ahsoka suddenly felt like crying, but instead she just smiled. Without Rex’s support, she wouldn’t have made it through a day like today. Emotionally  _ or _ physically. And, from the sounds of it, he wouldn’t have made it without her, either. So she simply breathed in before speaking again. “I promise.”

“Together to the end, yeah?” He spoke with a smile.

“Always.” She replied softly.

Ahsoka leaned in towards him slowly and he quickly realized her intention, leaning forward himself to meet her in the middle and draw her lips to his. He sighed softly at the feeling of her warm mouth moving over his own before lifting his hand to run gently across her lekku, feeling them twitch ever so slightly under his touch. He chuckled deep in his chest at her body’s nearly immediate response- it was really quite endearing. Suddenly, he felt his breath catch in his throat as she gently bit down on his lower lip before trailing her hands up to lay across the back of his neck, pulling him closer.

Even though they had kissed plenty of times since they’d reunited, Rex still felt himself getting just as excited every time, each one feeling like the very first they’d shared back on Abafar. Even now, as she sat on his bed, her familiar scent completely filling his mind, he still couldn’t believe she was back in his life. And as she began to pull him even closer to her, skimming her hands feather-light across the back of his neck before moving them forward to card through his beard, he couldn’t help but think to himself.

_ How did I ever go this long without her? _

As their shared breaths began to become labored and their hands started to wander as the kiss rapidly turned into something more, Rex simply went with it, following her lead as always. After all, with the day they’d had, it seemed they could  _ both _ use the release.

Rex slowly began to drag his hands across her lower back, before grasping the lower hem of her worn battle shirt and gently beginning to tug it up. He slowly pulled back from her as he did so, releasing her lips as he breathed heavily, his hands trembling ever so slightly.

“Is this okay?” He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.

“Yes.” She replied simply. In her mind, there wasn’t any more that needed to be said between them tonight. They had seemed to develop a silent, unspoken language between them, after all. And tonight, all that mattered was the love, comfort, and light they could find in each other in a dark, dark galaxy. Silently, she found herself feeling a sudden, intense rush of affection for him. Even though he’d been gone from her life for over a decade, he was right. They  _ had _ just picked up where they left off. And as she thought of the man before her, she began to truly, deeply understand just how much he meant to her. 

_ How did I ever go this long without him? _ She wondered to herself.

Though quickly, all rational thought was swiftly chased from her mind as she felt Rex’s strong hands move back down to her waist, kneading her hips hungrily. Breathing in deeply, she reached around to where his hands had now settled across her lower back before gently moving them away to pull her shirt off herself, discarding it quickly onto the floor. Leaning back in towards him, she captured his lips again fiercely, their mouths coming together for short, quick kisses that gradually turned into longer, deeper ones.

Kicking himself mentally, Rex swiftly pulled away from her. Confused, Ahsoka just stared at him. “How bad are you hurt from earlier?” He asked.

“Oh.” She replied, as if she’d forgotten all that her body had been through that day. “It’s not bad. All things considered, I feel fine.”

Rex eyed her suspiciously, before casting his gaze to her chest, remembering where the small boulder had struck her earlier. He expected to see a large, growing bruise, but instead, he found her sienna skin was clear and unblemished. 

“You passed out, earlier. Didn’t that rock hit you, I…” He trailed off.

“It did, but not all that hard.” Ahsoka clarified. “Holding back that boulder, the one that came down from the mesa, really took it out of me, I guess you could say. I got...drained. I haven't used that much of my power in a long time.” She replied.

Rex nodded in understanding. “But, you’re fine now?”

Ahsoka chuckled ever so slightly. He was always the gentleman. “Yes. I promise.” She spoke breathily.

As if hoping to hear that answer, Rex swiftly drew his arms around her again and pulled her flush against him, crashing his lips to hers. She laughed deep in her chest at this. Though she quickly let out a gasp as Rex’s lips abruptly left hers before settling on to her neck, burying his face roughly in between her shoulder and her collar bone as he kissed and nipped at her skin.

In response, she clutched at his back with shaking fingers and grasped the upper edge of his shirt, pulling at it as she did so. Catching her intention, Rex’s lips left her neck as he pulled away with a breathy exhale, before ripping off his black shirt and casting it quickly onto the floor as if it were an annoyance. 

Their movements were harsh and hurried as they swiftly removed the rest of the layers separating them, as if desperate to feel something other than the pain they had seen and experienced on NiJedha. 

Breathing heavily, Ahsoka grasped at Rex’s hips with trembling hands to pull the last item of clothing from his body, and she quickly found herself being pressed into the mattress as he settled on top of her. As he did so, she craned her face up to kiss his shoulders, his neck, his chest, any skin she could find. She was rewarded with a shudder as she let her lips graze that sensitive spot of his, right behind his pulse point. Though a moment later, she gasped into his ear as she felt the tip of his erection brush against her opening, and he pulled his face from hers to look her in the eyes.

He swallowed harshly before speaking.  _ “Cyare, _ is this okay?” He spoke, his words coming out in choppy breaths. “I-”

“Rex, please.” Ahsoka whispered desperately.

Without further pretense, he snaked his hand between her legs to spread them apart before quickly pushing himself into her. Ahsoka gasped as she felt him settle all the way inside her, nearly pulling all the way out only to shove deeply back inside her again. Biting back a moan, she felt the pressure beginning to flare inside of her as he continued the motion, but increased the pace.

“Gods,  _ cyar’ika, _ I-” Rex began to pant, but he quickly cut himself off with a moan as she clenched her inner muscles around him.

Ahsoka began to raise her hips to meet his rapid thrusts, her hands gripping his shoulder blades tightly as he buried his face into her neck, kissing her skin softly as he increased his pace further, his hips all but slamming into hers now.

She gasped as she felt her stomach begin to tighten with the familiar sensation, her skin beginning to tingle pleasurably as her breaths left her body ragged and harsh. Feeling Rex’s face lift from her shoulder, she cast her gaze up to look him in the eyes, and noticed he was watching her intently. He appeared to be struggling to hold himself back, seemingly waiting for her to finish first. Something about the subtle gesture seemed to stir something inside her, and she found herself falling in love with him for seemingly the millionth time.

As he gently snaked a hand between them to rub over her most sensitive spot, she felt herself abruptly fall over the edge, gasping his name as her inner muscles pulsed and tightened, the waves washing pleasurably over her body. Rex wasn’t far behind her, and he gave a couple more long, deep thrusts before she felt warmth spread inside her as he came with a gasp.

Distantly, Ahsoka felt the humming sensation that had engulfed her body begin to gradually dissipate, and she could feel Rex withdraw from her before laying down gently beside her. She slowly turned over to wrap her arm around his chest, threading her fingers through the slightly dark hair she found there as she laid her head against him. She heard him release a couple of ragged breaths before his breathing calmed, and his heart rate slowed.

“Rex, are you okay?” Ahsoka asked softly. She heard him gently shift to look down at her, and she cast her gaze from his chest up to his honey colored eyes.

She felt his chest move as he breathed in before speaking. “Yeah. I’m sorry,  _ cyare, _ was that too much? I-”

“No, it was...amazing.” She replied earnestly. “I just wanted to, make sure.” She amended softly.

Rex sighed, pausing a beat before speaking. “I just...can’t believe that today, happened. I really, really thought they would make it.” He continued, his voice growing thick.  _ “Gods, _ it’s just so… so…” He stammered.

“Unfair?” She replied quietly, always knowing exactly what he wanted to say, even if he couldn’t find the words himself.

“Right.” He breathed out.

Ahsoka propped herself up on her arm to look down at him, casting her gaze lovingly over his face before she spoke. “I know. That’s why we’re in this fight. Together.”

They talked for a few more minutes after that, before the ambient sounds of the Ghost’s engines seemed to draw them both to sleep. Prior to falling asleep himself, Rex had laid awake, running his hand absently over Ahsoka’s shoulders as he thought to himself, her simple expression echoing over and over in his mind.

_ Together. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you go, Chapter 15! I hope it was a good one. I’m still a bit unaccustomed to writing war/action scenes, so my sincerest apologies if the battle on Jedha got to be a little long in the tooth. 
> 
> Also, I wrote Benthic’s lines in English/Basic, but I know Benthic speaks in another language in Rogue One. So you can assume that Ahsoka and Rex understand his language, if you like. Or maybe that he has a Basic modulator. I just figured his lines would read easier, this way!
> 
> That being said, if you would be so kind as to leave a review to let me know what you thought of this chapter, it would just make my day! Thank you all again for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
